“Gunny” Bob touted Tancredo campaign without disclosing he's been a fundraiser

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

On the June 11 broadcast of his Newsradio 850 KOA show, “Gunny” Bob Newman promoted U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo's (R-CO) presidential campaign without disclosing that he has reportedly helped raise funds for it.

In an interview with Tancredo, Newman asked, "[W]here do folks go to learn more about your campaign for the presidency?" After Tancredo provided the address for his campaign website, Newman urged his listeners, “Everyone go to TeamTancredo.org.”

As Colorado Media Matters pointed out, the Rocky Mountain News reported February 8 on its website that “Tancredo's talk radio buddies are about to give his White House ambitions an off-the-air boost.” The article stated that Newman and 630 KHOW-AM host Peter Boyles were slated to “share the emcee duties at a Feb. 25 fundraiser for Tancredo's newly-formed presidential exploratory committee, Tancredo for a Secure America.”

At the time, Colorado Media Matters asked if Clear Channel Communications, the parent company of KOA and KHOW, would allow Newman and Boyles to give Tancredo an on-the-air “boost” and essentially promote his potential campaign by letting them discuss the candidate, his cornerstone issue of immigration control, and his other conservative campaign themes on their shows.

From the June 11 broadcast of Newsradio 850 KOA's The Gunny Bob Show:

NEWMAN: Congressman Tancredo, where do folks go to learn more about your campaign for the presidency?

TANCREDO: TeamTancredo.org or dot-com. They got 'em both for me 'cause they know I never, I always mix it up. So it's, it's TeamTancredo. And please go there. Look at these videos. I mean, they're -- look at the, go to the blog and, and look at the little things that they've done.

[...]

NEWMAN: Everyone go to TeamTancredo.org.

TANCREDO: Yeah, go to the site 'cause it's really, really interesting. It's really fun stuff.

NEWMAN: Very good. All right, I'm, I'm definitely going to do that during, during the next break, or the top of the hour break. Congressman Tom Tancredo, and a Republican candidate for president of the United States. Tom, thanks again for joining us, sir. Well done.

TANCREDO: Pleasure, buddy.