It looks like a Republican backlash against ABC’s George Stephanopoulos is forming after the anchor apologized on Thursday for not acknowledging that he donated $50,000 to the Clinton Foundation over the years.
Sen. Rand Paul, who’s been critical of the Clinton Foundation’s financial dealings and could square off against Hillary Clinton in the general election, said the ABC anchor shouldn’t be able to moderate any 2016 presidential debates.
“It’s impossible to divorce yourself from that, even if you try,” Paul told The New York Times. “I just think it’s really, really hard because he’s been there, so close to them, that there would be a conflict of interest if he tried to be a moderator of any sort.”
Paul is the first Republican candidate to go on the record about Stephanopoulos’ donations. The ABC anchor previously served as a senior adviser to President Clinton and also worked as communications director on his 1992 campaign, a resume that already gave conservatives pause.
Another conservative also criticized Stephanopoulos Thursday — “Clinton Cash” author Peter Schweizer, who Stephanopoulos grilled on “This Week” earlier this month.
Schweizer called the ABC anchor’s lack of disclosure “a massive breach of ethical standards.”
“He fairly noted my four months working as a speech writer for George W. Bush. But he didn’t disclose this?” Schweizer told Bloomberg.