Reporter Ejected From Republican Election Party After Candidate Calls Media 'Evil'
Candidate Anthony Constantino led a chant to remove a news crew from his Amsterdam venue while he was leading his opponent in the 21st District race.
By Kofi Costa ·
Republican congressional candidate Anthony Constantino ordered a television reporter and cameraman to exit his election-night party in Amsterdam, New York, on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred while Constantino was delivering a live speech to supporters.
Constantino was leading Democratic opponent Blake Gendebien in the race for the 21st Congressional District at the time. 7 News broadcast 15 to 16 minutes of the candidate's address to open its 11 p.m. newscast. During the speech, Constantino thanked President Donald Trump for having his back. He also acknowledged former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and political strategist Roger Stone.
The candidate criticized what he called the evil news media. He and others on stage used inappropriate language before the network left live coverage to report on other regional results. Constantino then singled out 7 News reporter Garrett Domblewski. He called Domblewski and 7 News anchor Jeff Cole a**holes. He also referred to a reporter from a different organization as a f**king a**hole.
Constantino instructed Domblewski to leave the venue. He led the crowd in chanting, Kick him out. Five or six security guards escorted the reporter out of the building. As Domblewski was led outside, Constantino and the audience chanted, F**k the evil media.
Domblewski said he was unsure why Constantino targeted him. He noted that he had conducted a cordial interview with the candidate earlier that evening. A portion of that interview aired on the 10 p.m. newscast. After his removal, Domblewski reported live from the event's parking lot.
Constantino's campaign invited 7 News and other media outlets to the event. The location is about a three-hour drive from Watertown. The campaign team knew the news crew was attending. In an email, they wrote, Looking forward to seeing you all.
The candidate continued to lead Gendebien in the 21st Congressional District race following the incident.
