Nikki Haley slammed as aide kicks out journalist from event for probing cheating allegations

AMHERST, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Nikki Haley's presidential campaign is grappling with controversy as a journalist was ejected from one of her events in Amherst, New Hampshire.

The incident unfolded on Friday, January 19, during a meet-and-greet at Mary Ann's Diner, where a Spectator's DC gossip columnist, known by the pen name 'Cockburn,' found himself removed by a Haley staffer.

Journalist Ejected after Seeking Response

The journalist had reportedly sought a response to a report published by the Daily Mail, delving into resurfaced infidelity claims against the Republican candidate. According to the Spectator columnist, he became aware of the Daily Mail report upon arriving at the Amherst event.

"Naturally Cockburn was curious about whether Haley or her team had seen the story or had a response. He asked a young male staffer who was part of her entourage — who said he hadn’t," the columnist wrote.

However, during Haley's televised interview, an even younger male staffer approached the journalist and, after learning he wrote for The Spectator, promptly ejected him from the diner.

In a column penned later that day, the Spectator journalist quipped that he "decided to live free rather than die at the hands of a neocon teenager — and headed off into the snow."

The Daily Mail, which ran the controversial report, faced a similar reception at the same event. A reporter and photographer for the outlet were asked to leave by Haley's spokeswoman Chaney Denton, who reportedly declared that the outlet is now banned from covering any future campaign events.

"Daily Mail is not credentialed for any more events. I'm politely asking you to leave," she said, later telling an editor at the publication that the ban was imposed for "printing lies."

This followed a separate incident where a Daily Mail reporter received notice that their application for credentials for a rally in Manchester on Friday night had been rejected, citing high volume and limited space.

"We apologize, but due to the high volume of interest and limited space, we CANNOT credential you for tonight’s event in Manchester, NH. Please do not attempt to attend, as you will be turned away at the door," the email read.

Ironically, during the event where journalists were being asked to leave, Haley spoke generically about political attacks against her, stating, "If people hit me, this is politics. For me, it's not personal."

The controversy arose amid new allegations of an affair that Haley had previously denied. Witnesses, including Will Folks and Larry Marchant, signed affidavits in 2010 alleging a sexual relationship with Haley in 2008. While Haley vehemently denied these claims at the time, new details emerged through the Daily Mail's report, reigniting the controversy.

Will Folks, now 49, and Larry Marchant, 61, both signed affidavits in 2010 alleging they had a sexual relationship with the then-South Carolina lawmaker before she went on to become governor.

While major news outlets described the contents of the affidavits at the time, this marks the first occasion they have been published outside of Folks' document, which he released on his blog.

Haley, 51, had vehemently denied both allegations at the time, asserting she was "100% faithful" to the father of her two children and her husband of 28 years, Michael Haley, who was deployed in Afghanistan with the National Guard in 2012. Notably, Haley now frequently cites her husband as a significant motivation for her presidential candidacy.

Social Media Backlash

However, the presidential hopeful was criticized on social media for purportedly kicking out journalists from her campaign event.

"They aren't well prepared for objection handling. That's why she'll lose badly," one posted on X.

"She is not gonna make it. Her last hurray," another wrote.

"She’s fighting a losing battle here. Whether it’s true or false, she has to approach it head-on. What she’s doing makes her look guilty," someone else offered.

"Her campaign isn't gonna work," another insisted.

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