Katherine Maher, the current NPR chief, made donations to Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight PAC and other Democratic causes prior to assuming her role at the public network, according to Federal Elections Commissions records.
The revelation of Maher’s donations has stirred controversy amongst existing criticism of her past social media posts criticizing former President Donald J. Trump and aligning with liberal causes. Abrams founded Fair Fight in 2018 following her gubernatorial race loss in Georgia, with the aim of promoting fair elections nationwide.
NPR boss (Credits: Irish Examiner)
The recent scrutiny directed at NPR stemmed from a senior editor’s essay, which accused the broadcaster’s leadership of allowing liberal bias to influence its coverage, risking its credibility with audiences. The editor, Uri Berliner, announced his resignation on Wednesday, citing criticism from Maher.
Maher’s $500 contribution to Fair Fight in 2020 has drawn particular attention, with critics highlighting Abrams’ refusal to concede the governor’s race, false allegations regarding voting machines, and a dismissed lawsuit filed by Fair Fight that resulted in the PAC paying legal fees to the state.
Katherine Maher (Credits: TechCrunch)
Various news outlets have criticized Maher for her past comments and donations, pointing out perceived double standards in media coverage and questioning her credibility.
NPR spokeswoman Isabel Lara defended Maher, stating that her donations were made before her journalism career and asserting Maher’s commitment to NPR’s ethics code and newsroom independence.
