Former Breitbart reporter Patrick Howley claims that he planted many anti-Hillary Clinton hecklers during the presidential campaign, according to a now-deleted Facebook post.
Politico’s Hadas Gold first noticed the post and was able to capture a screen grab before it was deleted.
Last night a former Breitbart reporter claimed on Facebook he planted Clinton hecklers at her rallies… has since deleted the post. pic.twitter.com/wbsI5Szsbi
— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) December 5, 2016
He further wrote that he was “sorry not sorry” for planting the hecklers. Breitbart did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Howley left Breitbart News last month, saying, “they are smart people” that don’t need his services because he already did his part to “bring down” Clinton and “avenge the betrayal of David Brock.” Brock is a former conservative investigative journalist who became a Clinton ally and founder of the liberal watchdog site Media Matters for America.
Like all presidential campaigns, Clinton rallies and events often featured hecklers. The former Breitbart reporter did not mention specifically which ones he allegedly planted, but an ongoing theme among Clinton hecklers was to yell that former-President Bill Clinton is a rapist.
At one point, Infowars’ Alex Jones offered $5,000 to anyone who was vocally heard saying “Bill Clinton is a rapist” on television.
Conservative news outlet Breitbart has been in the news itself a lot lately for its ties to the “alt-right” movement and former boss Steve Bannon’s role as a top advisor to the Trump administration.