Two More LA Times Editorial Writers Quit Over Endorsement From ‘Chickens–t’ Owner Kamala Harris | Exclusive

The Los Angeles Times has lost two more longtime editorial writers, the latest in a growing exodus in protest of owner Patrick Soon-Shiong’s interference in the paper’s planned endorsement of Kamala Harris, TheWrap can exclusively report.

On Thursday, editorial writer Karin Klein and Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Greene both quit; their departure comes just one day after editor-in-chief Mariel Garza resigned in protest on Wednesday.

Greene has not yet spoken publicly about his departure, but in a statement on a private forum subsequently shared with TheWrap, Klein explained her reasons for her departure.

Using Harris’ campaign slogan “we’re not going back,” Klein called Soon-Shiong a “chicken…” who the editors threw “under the bus,” essentially arguing that the decision to halt the endorsement was itself a show of support of sorts for Harris’ opponent, Donald Trump.

Soon-Shiong, Klein wrote, as owner has the “right to interfere with editorials; that’s the only place he can do that ethically.” But in shooting down this particular editorial, she said he had essentially created one of his own. “A wordless one, a seemingly invisible one who falsely implies that (Harris) has serious flaws that somehow align her with Donald Trump.”

In fact, she argued, the timing itself can only be seen as a direct attack on the Democratic candidate “striking just when she can’t afford hits.”

Klein also specifically cited Soon-Shiong’s hypocritical statement Wednesday night in which he attempted to blame the debacle on the editors themselves while essentially confirming that he had indeed blocked the approval.

On the social media site formerly known as Twitter, Soon-Shiong wrote that “the editors had the opportunity to prepare a factual analysis of all the positive and negative policies of each candidate during his tenure in the White House, and how these policies affected the nation.”

“Additionally, the board was asked to provide insight into the policies and plans put forward by the candidates during this campaign and their potential impact on the nation over the next four years. This way, with this clear and unbiased information side by side, our readers could decide who would be worthy of being president for the next four years.”

“Rather than follow this path as suggested, the editors chose to remain silent and I accepted their decision. Please vote,” Soon-Shiong’s statement ended.

Immediately afterward, Garza said bluntly in a statement to TheWrap: “We submitted a letter of support and were not allowed to write one.”

For her part, Klein wrote that her decision to quit was made “simple and easy” by Soon-Shiong’s statement, in part because forcing the editors to shout out positive things about Trump “works just as well as any other lie.” which is meant to make him seem I like anything better than sludge.”

“The board was not the one who chose to remain silent. He blocked our voice. He can force his decisions down everyone’s throats, but at least he can own them,” she added.

Read Klein’s entire statement below:

“I called it out to the LA Times today because of the bullshit (very polite term for how fried I feel) about not endorsing Kamala Harris. And I’m not going back.”

“I respect the owner’s right to interfere with editorial content; that’s a place where he can ethically do that. What bothers me is that a decision against an editorial at this point is actually a decision to make an editorial – a wordless one, a seemingly invisible one that falsely implies that it has serious flaws that somehow affect it. way to align with Donald. Trump. And that comes just when she can’t afford to be hit. Patrick Soon-Shiong is doing the opposite of the neutrality he said he was looking for. Enough. Finished.”

“The decision to resign was made simple and easy when he posted on X yesterday about his suggestion that the board analyze the positives and negatives of each candidate and let voters make their own decisions. (He did, but the editorial writers never heard of it.) And those positive things about Trump? ‘Nice hair?’ It works as well as any other lie designed to make him look like something better than sludge.

“The news side does a great job of neutral analysis. That’s not editing.”

“Then the owner wrote the angry words that ‘the editors chose to remain silent.’ Oh, to hell with those chickens, try throwing the editors under the bus. The board was not the one who chose to remain silent. He blocked our voice. He can shove his decisions down everyone’s throats, but at least he can OWN it.”