The Associated Press was the latest media outlet to avoid references to Clark County public administrator Robert Telles being a Democrat while reporting on his ongoing trial for allegedly killing a Las Vegas journalist.
Their latest coverage by Ken Ritter on Telles’ trial focused on Tuesday’s arraignment where the administrator appeared in court to be formally charged for lethally stabbing Las Vegas Review-Journal staff writer Jeff German after German wrote critical pieces about him. The original article clocked in at over nine hundred words and there was no reference to Telles’ political affiliation beyond being referred to as a "local elected official."
Later on Tuesday, multiple changes were made to the article without an editor's note, including identifying Telles as a Democrat in the second paragraph and noting "Telles lost the Democratic party primary in June" towards the middle. Fox News Digital reached out to the AP for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
"Robert Richard Telles, the Clark County public administrator, stood in court with shackles on his wrists, waist and ankles — but no longer with bandages on his forearms — while a Las Vegas judge told him he was charged with the ‘unlawful, senseless and heinous murder’ on Sept. 2 of veteran Las Vegas Review-Journal staff writer Jeff German," Ritter wrote in the previous version.
A booking photo of Robert Telles, right, and the veteran Las Vegas-Review reporter, Jeff German. (LVMPD/AP)
Various mainstream media outlets similarly buried or ignored Telles’ connection to the Democrat Party, simply referring to him as a "local politician" who allegedly attacked a journalist writing unfavorable coverage of him after losing a primary election.
Ritter similarly noted Telles losing a reelection bid in June following a series of critical articles against him by German.
"Telles lost his primary bid for reelection in June after articles in May aired claims of administrative bullying, favoritism and Telles’ relationship with a subordinate staffer. County lawmakers appointed a consultant to address complaints about leadership in his office," Ritter wrote. "German was widely respected for his tenacity, and his colleagues said he was working on follow-up reports about Telles and the public administrator’s office when he was killed."
Immigration Reform for Nevada supporter Robert Telles is seen during an 2014 event outside the office of U.S. Rep. Joe Heck. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
While the Democrat Party of Nevada released a statement following Telles’ arrest by Las Vegas police officers, they neglected to specifically reference Telles, insisting that the party "has no control over an individual’s voter registration."
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"We condemn criminal behavior by Democrats, Republicans, and even those not registered to vote at all, and we vehemently condemn any violence towards members of the press, who are a vital part of the infrastructure of democracy itself, and who should be able to do their jobs without fear," the statement read.
LVMPD Det. Dori Koren gives an Aug. 8 press conference regarding the arrest of Robert Telles in connection to the murder of journalist Jeff German. (FOX 5 Las Vegas)
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Telles appeared in court for the third time on Tuesday following his original arrest on Sept. 7. Although he is currently being held as a "flight risk and a danger to the community," he technically still holds his position as Clark County public administrator until his term ends on Dec. 31.
Editor's Note: The article was updated to reflect changes the AP made to its story after publication.
Fox News Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report
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