The publisher of Your Content—Original Media Group Corporation—intends to file a lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia after being illegally barred from covering the ballot count at the city’s convention center on Nov. 6.
Kevin Feeley—who oversees the city’s public relations—denied our reporters access due to our ‘unfavorable coverage.’
Officials are not providing any reason for their ban from the ballot coverage and virtually all competing publications and networks have been granted access.
“And so it begins in the new Biden/Harris era: If we don’t like your speech or your viewpoints, then we’ll cancel you.” responded Connecticut-based attorney Norm Pattis—who represents Your Content’s publisher. “Fortunately, the courts are not beholden to the new wokesters heading to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.”
The media hub for Philly’s ballot count was in the opposite wing of the ballroom where ballots were tallied.
Your Content’s national assignment editor, Hong Xie—accompanied by Your Content reporter Jonathan Riches and the publication’s chief content officer, Nik Hatziefstathiou, were barred from re-entering the media hub, despite having previously been granted credentials by the firm handling the city’s public relations.
The three staffers were sidelined to the check-in table located in the lobby as the ballot count neared the end on Nov. 6.
“We are extremely disappointed with the actions of Philadelphia’s public relations firm and their spokesperson, Kevin Feeley, who at his peril, chose to censor coverage of a very public and highly-publicized ballot counting procedure surrounding an election that riveted the nation,” Nik Hatziefstathiou, Chief Content Officer and Editor-in-Chief of Your Content said.
“We look forward to successfully defending ourselves in a court of law. That is why the press is protected by the First Amendment—the only business in America specifically protected by the Constitution.”
Feeley—who also works as a freelance journalist—mumbled an order to a nearby staffer to approach Hatziefstathiou and ‘others for unfavorable coverage of city officials,’ according to Xie and Riches who were standing nearby the press check-in table.
The rogue public relations executive–who previously served for the likes of Mayor Edward G. Rendell and Scranton businessman Louis DeNaples who dodged an organized crime charge–represents the city and their extracurricular campaign activities.
“Philadelphia has only one person to blame for the skeletons that lurk inside their closet—and that is themselves. The real facts will be revealed through depositions and the litany of lawsuits that will be filed against them.”
The legal intent comes after Philadelphia barred Original Media Group Corporation—publisher of Your Content, from covering the 2020 Election vote tally at the convention center for no apparent reason.
Norm Pattis—who represents Your Content—is dubbed one of America’s most controversial and successful trial attorneys, is frequently in the national news representing high-profile criminal defendants, winning multi-million dollar civil rights verdicts, and other high stakes cases where personal liberty, constitutional rights, or substantial financial rights are at stake.
“The fact that they denied entry to the press during such tense times makes our readership much more interested to learn what this secretive administration truly does behind closed doors,” Hatziefstathiou continued.
“Maybe if they weren’t so hush hush—and started discussing matters with the community and media, they wouldn’t be in the negative spotlight on a weekly basis. This childish behavior has got to end and it ends right now.”
State and city officials have not responded to repeated requests for comment.