Politico defended its decision to host longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone at a Republican National Convention event despite his history of making sexist, racist, and conspiratorial attacks that have gotten him banned from CNN and MSNBC.

Stone has called Hillary Clinton a “cunt” and advocated her execution, and called media figures “stupid negro,” “fat negro,” “quota hires,” “elitist c*nt,” “bitch,” and “muff-diver” (among many other things). In a tweet he subsequently deleted, Stone once wrote, “Which female Politico Reporter goes commando regularly.”

Politico hosted a July 19 discussion with Stone moderated by Mike Allen and Anna Palmer. Spokesperson Brad Dayspring defended the publication’s hosting of Stone, telling Media Matters reporter Joe Strupp: “Roger Stone is certainly a well-known commodity and a character in his own right. He is a Trump supporter, he is running a super PAC that is involved in this election. So his words speak for themselves, it is not an endorsement by Politico. We try to have speakers that speak to a broad array of topics.”

Pointing to Stone’s July 18 pro-Trump rally with 9/11 conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, Los Angeles Times reporter Chris Megerian noted of Politico hosting him, “Yesterday Roger Stone was spreading conspiracy theories with Alex Jones. Today? Given platform to riff on the news.” During the rally, Stone invoked conspiracies that the Clintons were involved in a cover-up surrounding the death of White House aide Vince Foster.

During the Politico event, Stone weighed in on Melania Trump’s plagiarism of Michelle Obama in her recent speech at the Republican National Convention. Stone said voters don’t care, but “if somebody did this then it’s sloppy staff work and somebody should go.” Stone himself is a plagiarist: He wrote an April anti-Ted Cruz piece for The Daily Caller that contained at least five paragraphs in which research and language was lifted from a conservative blog. The Daily Caller subsequently removed Stone’s piece from its website.

During the event's question and answer portion, Media Matters' Strupp asked Stone if he wanted to address his co-author Robert Morrow’s claims that Trump committed rape. Stone refused to respond, stating, “I don’t respond to questions from illegitimate news organizations. Next question.”

Stone and Morrow co-authored The Clintons' War on Women -- Politico promoted the book during the discussion -- which claims to show “how Bill and Hillary Clinton systematically abused women and others -- sexually, physically, and psychologically -- in their scramble for power and wealth.”

Media Matters has reported that Morrow is a fringe conspiracy theorist with a history of bizarre, racist, and incendiary writings. He has wished death on Hillary Clinton and been visited by the Secret Service; posted sexual writings about the former secretary of state; called Chelsea Clinton a “slut” and imagined how she would “have sex one day” with Bill Clinton; posted about “pro-faggot JUDICIAL ACTIVISM”; and claimed the Bush and Clinton families were involved in murders and drug-running. He also has an obsession with using the slur nigger, having tweeted it over 100 times. Morrow was recently sworn in as the chairman of the GOP in Travis County, Texas.  

Morrow and Stone have recently been feuding over Trump, with Morrow repeatedly attacking Trump as a rapist and Stone as “a hack for Donald Trump.”

Morrow has repeatedly accused Trump of being a rapist on his Twitter account. For instance:

Plus Trump raped Ivana, sex attacked Jill Harth. Man is a serial rapist. https://t.co/nVoExDFHu3

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) June 27, 2016

Trump is a child rapist and industrial grade psychopath. https://t.co/vWfisvFfzV

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) July 19, 2016

My topic will be Donald Trump raping a 13 year old girl, then slapping her & threatening her and family w/ death. https://t.co/0rqgPPsiij

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) July 18, 2016

Trump the child rapist. Running for president the corpses float to the top of the lake. https://t.co/E6WdQWAFOH

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) July 10, 2016

Donald Trump is a child rapist and do not associate me with him. https://t.co/HwEPaTV7EB

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) July 9, 2016

Donald Trump is a child rapist and he must be destroyed. https://t.co/lz9tdijiTJ

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) July 7, 2016

The odds are very high Trump raped a 13 year old. I am author of https://t.co/gQmLiEl8p9 with Roger Stone. https://t.co/0rih06sntr

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) June 26, 2016

Agree 100%.And Donald Trump raped a 13 yr old and slapped her https://t.co/S2Li6f7xi7 Trump, Clinton both scum https://t.co/3ypY1V6o4P

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) June 27, 2016

@realDonaldTrump Hey, what about that Jill Harth lawsuit - any comments on that one- sex harassment, rape attempt https://t.co/6YdVartTD9

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) June 10, 2016

Morrow wrote that Stone has been “a tad standoffish after my exposing Donald Trump for the serial rapist and child rapist this very sick man is.” He also tweeted, “Stone is a hack for Donald Trump and any of his defenses of Trump can't be taken at face value.”

Stone a tad standoffish after my exposing Donald Trump for the serial rapist and child rapist this very sick man is. https://t.co/j7lDIEzOhF

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) July 11, 2016

Stone knows this case has potential to nuke trump. And subtle does not get U the medal. https://t.co/BGoTezqaRA

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) June 30, 2016

That is a Roger Stone insert sentence in our book. BEFORE CHILD RAPE LAWSUIT WAS FILED. https://t.co/AsWhh717Wg

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) June 29, 2016

@annamerlan My co-author Roger Stone is a hack for Donald Trump and any of his defenses of Trump can't be taken at face value, dumbass.

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) June 25, 2016

I have told Roger Stone that child rapist Donald Trump is a disgrace to the human species. https://t.co/ZtZhH6hiwT

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) June 24, 2016

Stone is wrong. This lawsuit came up AFTER our book was written. New information. Hell I wrote that chap re: Epstein https://t.co/defpOm5H0B

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) June 23, 2016

Roger Stone has proven absolutely nothing about this case. Very likely Donald Trump is a child rapist. https://t.co/vhkc0vYnWG

— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) June 23, 2016

Stone responded to one of Morrow’s tweets by writing, “Morrow has lost his mind-has ZERO evidence and is courting a defamation suit.” He also tweeted at Morrow after he criticized the Trump campaign: “How would you know? You've never elected anyone to public office or held a job in your life? #Trust #Fund #Loser.”

Media Matters’ Joe Strupp contributed reporting to this post.