GoLocal’s Whitehouse Interview Sparks NYT Reporter, Fox News and Politico Questions
Monday, June 21, 2021
GoLocal's interview with U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse regarding his family’s membership in the exclusive, wealthy, white Bailey's beach club in Newport, Rhode Island has sparked coverage from many of the national news sites.
After GoLocal News Editor Kate Nagle caught up with Whitehouse on Friday — four years after first inquiring about his club ties — Politico, Fox News, the NY Post, and New York Times' investigative reporter Kenneth Vogel have all picked up the story.
“Kudos to @GoLocalProv for asking @SenWhitehouse (an outspoken critic of systematic racism) about his decades-long membership at the all-white Bailey’s Beach Club in Newport, Rhode Island — which has a roster of affluent members from Newport, Palm Beach & New York,” Vogel Tweeted on Sunday.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBased in The Times's Washington bureau, Vogel covers the confluence of money, politics and influence — and has a Twitter following of over 117,000.
“Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is facing new scrutiny over his decades-long membership in an all-white private beach club, as he bills himself as a progressive and prominent critic of ‘systemic racism’ — dismissing membership based on race as “a long tradition in Rhode Island,” reported the NY Post on Monday.
Local Coverage — National Scrutiny
The coverage marks the latest for Whitehouse, who was confronted by GoLocal about his club ties in 2017 — and said he had hoped the club would diversify.
“I think it would be nice if they (Bailey’s Beach Club) changed a little bit, but it's not my position,” Whitehouse had said at the time.
This past week, he acknowledged this week little had been done.
“[Whitehouse] continues to defend his family’s membership in the all-white private Bailey’s Beach Club in Newport,” reported Politico. “GoLocal interviewed Whitehouse on Friday in Pawtucket and when asked if the private club had admitted any minorities since GoLocal first raised the issue in 2017, Whitehouse said, ‘I think the people who are running the place are still working on that and I’m sorry it hasn't happened yet.’”
While Whitehouse on Friday told GoLocal the club has not diversified; his office later told Fox News after the fact there are minority members of the club -- but would not elaborate.
Whitehouse’s office did not respond to request for clarification on the Senator’s comments on Monday.
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