Lawmaker demands Pulitzer Prize awarded to NYT, WaPo be rescinded following Durham revelations
Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, sent a letter to the Pulitzer Prize Board this week
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}EXCLUSIVE: One Republican lawmaker is officially calling for the Pulitzer Prize Board to rescind the 2018 award given to The New York Times and Washington Post for their reporting on the now-debunked Russia collusion hoax.
In a Wednesday letter to the board, Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, called for the prize to be stripped from the two liberal outlets, citing the findings of Special Counsel John Durham's final report on the FBI's probe that found the agency, as well as the Department of Justice, "failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law" when it launched the Trump-Russia investigation.
"If Pulitzer still believes in maintaining the integrity of its establishment and high standards for its prizes and award recipients, it should promptly undo this mistake by stripping the New York Times and the Washington Post of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize," Gooden wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"To restore faith in the authenticity of the prize and to clarify the Board’s strong belief in accountability and impartiality, I request the Board ban the Washington Post and the New York Times from any nominations for a minimum of five years. I trust you will do the right thing," he added.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In his letter, Gooden noted there was precedent for rescinding an award, specifically mentioning its decision to strip a Washington Post reporter of the 1981 award "for inaccuracies in a feature and autobiographical report."
"Even if this award was bestowed in good faith, the Board is bound by its duty and ‘mission’ to support accurate and responsible journalism. Now that the truth has been revealed, it is imperative that the Board correct this oversight," he wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, walks down the House steps after the last votes of the week at the Capitol on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Gooden's calls for the award to be rescinded have been echoed by others, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., during a recent appearance on Fox News.
"I think the Pulitzer Prize given to The Washington Post and New York Times should be taken back because the entire episode was politically motivated crap. That's not something you should get a Pulitzer Prize for," Graham told "America's Newsroom."
The Pulitzer Prize Board has stood by its 2018 National Reporting prizes given to The New York Times and Washington Post for coverage of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. (Photo illustration)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Digital reached out to the Pulitzer Prize Board for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News' Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.