Kentucky governor's rant at local paper resorts to tired tactic: blame Soros

Matt Bevin appeared to use an antisemitic dog whistle in his social media broadside against the Courier-Journal

On Wednesday night Kentucky’s Republican governor Matt Bevin posted a three minute diatribe to his social media channels directed at the local Courier-Journal newspaper. In the flailing and accusatory rant, Bevin alleged the paper was “dying” and a shadow of what it once was.

Then, using an antisemitic dog whistle that has become commonplace among rightwing Republicans, he denounced the paper’s recent partnership with the non-profit investigative journalism group ProPublica, leaning on its connections to the billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who is frequently a target of anti-Jewish attacks.

The Courier-Journal recently announced a partnership with ProPublica, known for its hard-hitting exposés typically on the abuses of power, like one this week on poor people being more likely to face tax scrutiny than the wealthy.

The newspaper announced the program earlier on Wednesday, saying it was part of ProPublica’s initiative to help bolster coverage in statehouses at a time when funding for such reporting has dried up. It sounds like the type of reporting that might make a governor with something to hide particularly nervous.

Perhaps that explains Bevin’s stumbling, Trumpian broadside.

In the video Bevin pointed out that ProPublica was supported by “George ‘I-Hate-America’ Soros”.

“Now the Courier-Journal has said, ‘We don’t even care. We’ll sell our souls, we’ll be a sock puppet for the ProPublica organization, for George Soros … for all these other people who hate America.’”

“I encourage everybody to just disregard the nonsense that comes out of this biased, leftwing organization,” he finished.

Nonsense like a recent story by the Courier-Journal that highlighted how Bevin had hired a friend for the state’s chief information officer and promptly gave him a $215,000 raise perhaps? Or maybe a story about the suspiciously soaring value of the governor’s home that he bought from a friend and donor?

On Twitte,r ProPublica and its editor in chief, Stephen Engelberg, responded quickly to Bevin’s accusations.

“I’m used to hearing howls of outrage from public officials caught abusing their positions,” Engelberg wrote. “Kentucky’s Gov Matt Bevin has hit on something I haven’t seen since my toddlers were getting their shots: the pre-howl.”

ProPublica launched a series of tweets pointing out their mission and contesting Bevin’s accusations.

“You called us a ‘biased, leftwing organization.’ Actually, we believe in evidence. Hard, indisputable evidence. Carefully gathered and precisely told. Perhaps that’s why our peers have given us 4 Pulitzers, 3 Peabodys, 2 Emmys, 6 Polks, a duPont and a National Magazine Award,” they added.

The group also highlighted the antisemitic undertones of Bevin’s statement.

Soros has become a boogeyman for Republicans including Donald Trump, who regularly allege that every act of protest or criticism levelled against them is being funded by the Jewish billionaire.

It’s unclear what exactly set Bevin off. The governor is up for re-election next year, but his lashing out will certainly inspire journalists everywhere to take a closer look at him.

“Seriously governor, you might wait for the @journalcourier to do an interview or two before panicking,” Engelberg went on. “The better-known politicians you are imitating usually keep this sort of stunt in reserve for the inevitable moment when they need to discredit a brutal, accurate story.”