National Council of La Raza demands a retraction from Hannity
By Antoinette
Fox News conservative talk face Sean Hannity is in hot water with the National Council of La Raza for false comments he made about the organization. On February 25, Hannity said on his show that the Latino civil rights organization "has called for Mexico to annex southwestern states." That comment sparked a response from NCLR.
Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR, had written a letter to John Moody demanding a retraction from Hannity. No response to her letter. Instead, the organization was referred to another department. But according to a NCLR spokesperson, the group will not back down.
Last week, I spoke with a representative of the organization. Hannity still has not apologized or retracted his comment. I told them that the odds of Hannity retracting his comment and apologizing is nil. She was aware of how Fox News operates, but assured me that they will continue to pursue the matter. I will keep you posted.
Below is a copy of their letter:
John Moody
Executive Vice President, News Editorial
FOX News Channel
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
Dear Mr. Moody:
On the February 25, 2009 edition of Hannity, Sean Hannity stated that my organization, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), "has called for Mexico to annex southwestern states." NCLR is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States and last year celebrated its 40th anniversary as an American institution.
NCLR has never made the statement and does not support the views Mr. Hannity attributes to us, as even a cursory review of our public statements or website would substantiate. Such conspiracy theories would be silly if they were not so often used to create fear and distrust of all Hispanics living in America. While Mr. Hannity is well within his rights to disagree with the views of our organization, he is not entitled to lie about us. In light of this, we are asking in the strongest terms possible for an immediate on-air correction.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please contact me at (202) 776-1734.
Sincerely,
Janet Murguía
President and CEO
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