Election Night: Candidate Orders Reporter to Leave During Live Speech
Anthony Constantino directed 7 News crew off stage while leading his opponent in New York's 21st District.
By Layla Edwards ·
Republican congressional candidate Anthony Constantino ordered a 7 News reporter and cameraman to exit his election-night party in Amsterdam, New York, on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred while Constantino addressed supporters on a stage covered by live television.
Constantino was leading Democratic opponent Blake Gendebien in the race for the 21st Congressional District at the time of the event. The 7 News channel aired 15 to 16 minutes of the candidate's speech during its 11 p.m. newscast. In that segment, Constantino thanked President Donald Trump for having his back. He also expressed gratitude to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and political strategist Roger Stone.
The candidate's remarks included a criticism of the evil news media. Constantino and other individuals on stage used profanity before 7 News cut its live coverage to report on other regional election results. The candidate then singled out 7 News reporter Garrett Domblewski. He called Domblewski and 7 News anchor Jeff Cole a**holes. He also referred to a reporter from a different organization as a f**king a**hole.
Constantino instructed Domblewski to leave the venue. The candidate led the crowd in a chant that repeated the phrase Kick him out. Five or six security guards escorted Domblewski out of the building. As the reporter was led outside, Constantino and the audience chanted F**k the evil media.
Dombleski stated he was unsure what prompted the candidate to order him to leave. He noted that he had conducted a cordial interview with Constantino earlier in the evening. A portion of that interview aired on the station's 10 p.m. newscast. After exiting the building, Domblewski provided a live report from the parking lot.
The campaign had invited 7 News and other media outlets to the event. The campaign team confirmed in an email that they were aware the news crew was attending. The message read, Looking forward to seeing you all. Amsterdam is located about a three-hour drive from Watertown.
Source: WSMV-TV
