Volunteer Co-Chair of RI Trump Campaign Says She Was Fired From Job at ABC6 for Role With Campaign
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Doreen Costa, a former Republican Rhode Island state legislator, was poised to announce on Monday that she will be one of the co-chairs of President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign in Rhode Island -- a volunteer position -- but says just hours before the announcement was made public, she was called into the general manager’s office at ABC6 and fired from her sales job at the TV station.
According to Costa, the General Manager of the station -- Tina Marie Castano -- told her she was fired due to her role with the Trump campaign.
“I was fired despite doing a great job -- I landed $100,000 in new revenue last week,” said Costa, who was hired last January.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTABC6 is owned by Standard Media Group company in Nashville, Tennessee. The company purchased ABC6 in May of this year.
Costa said that she had been told by a Standard Media executive that they did not want her to be involved with politics. “Stan [Knott, Chief Operating Officer] told me I could not work for the company and work on campaigns — even on my own time.”
An email to Standard Media’s Chief Executive Officer Deborah McDermott was not responded to.
Costa said many of the staff expressed their political views in the station. She says that Castano was regularly hyping Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
And Costa said that her direct supervisor was a very vocal progressive Democrat. “My sales manager is very political and I like him a lot,” said Costa about Bill Lancaster
According to the nonprofit Workplace Fairness: "Political activity retaliation is not covered by the federal laws that generally prohibit retaliation based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, and disability for private employers, or by the laws protecting against retaliation on the basis of union or concerted activity."
Costa said that when she was hired they told her, ‘We are happy to have you here because you have so many contacts.’”
“I loved my job. And now I am unemployed because of volunteer work on my own time — for the President of the United States,” said Costa.
ABC6 broadcasts a weekly political public affairs show hosted by Democratic National Committeeman Joseph Paolino. According to Costa Paolino pays for that time, but the show does not carry the traditional disclaimer that the show is paid advertising and that the view expressed do not reflect those of the station.
Costa said she doubts she would have been fired for political work for women's equality issues.
RI ACLU's Brown -- RI is an At-Will State
Rhode Island ACLU Executive Director Steve Brown says that AB6 can "get away with it."
"They can get away with it, in the absence of a contract that says otherwise," said Brown. "They're a private company, they have discretion in hiring and firing decisions - unlike a government employer."
"Rhode Island's an at-will state," Brown added.
Updated Tuesday 4:16 p.m.
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