Huckabee violating Fox News' reported order to stop conflict of interest promotions
January 07, 2010 5:21 pm ET by Eric Hananoki
New year, same Fox News ethics.
On December 21, the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz reported that Fox executives told host Mike Huckabee to stop plugging his website "on the air after learning that it linked to his political action committee, which the network deemed a conflict of interest":
His HuckPAC has been involved in local races, raising $305,000 in this campaign cycle. His Web site urges followers to "Vote No Against Senate Health Care Bill" and invites fans to join him and his wife, Janet (for just $3,999!), on a tour of Israel next month. Fox executives told Huckabee to stop plugging the Web site on the air after learning that it linked to his political action committee, which the network deemed a conflict of interest.
As we've noted, Huckabee has used his Fox News program to promote the website "balancecutsave.com," which redirects visitors to a web page soliciting donations for Huckabee's political action committee.
Huckabee's personal website, MikeHuckabee.com, actively promotes and links to his political action committee. The large and small HuckPAC graphics and "Vote No ..." graphic direct readers to HuckPAC.com.
But despite his bosses' reported order to stop promoting a website that "link[s] to his political action committee," Huckabee promoted MikeHuckabee.com on his program last Saturday:
Huckabee's FoxNews.com website also promotes MikeHuckabee.com:
If this is truely a conflict of interest I want to see what Fox does now that he has obviously not stopped promoting his web site on air.