Attorney General Alan Wilson calls on media outlets to stop paying journalists tied to terrorist organizations

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined a coalition of 14 states in a letter demanding that big news media make sure they are not paying journalists who have ties to terrorist organizations like Hamas.

Following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel that brutally murdered more than 1,400 men, women, and children, reports revealed that several news media outlets had employed individuals with suspected ties to Hamas. In one instance, a journalist who worked for both The Associated Press and Reuters was present at the October 7 terror attack and even posted a video of himself carrying a grenade on a motorcycle during the assault.

“If media outlets are paying people who have ties to terrorist groups, they’re no longer sharing news, they’re involved in propaganda and literally aiding and abetting terrorism,” Attorney General Wilson said. “It should be common sense that media outlets should not be paying to aid terrorists.”

It is a violation of federal law to knowingly provide material support for a designated terrorist organization. Hamas is a designated terrorist organization. Paying a member of such an organization counts as material support. The letter demands that, going forward, media outlets such as The New York Times, The Associated Press, Reuters, and CNN make sure that they are not paying journalists associated with terrorist organizations and strengthen their vetting process.

South Carolina joined the Iowa-led letter, along with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Read the full letter here.