Reporter accuses Karine Jean-Pierre of trying to 'silence' him after removal from WHCA
'I never believed that this could happen to me in the United States,' African reporter Simon Ateba told Tucker Carlson
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Today News Africa reporter Simon Ateba's longtime feud with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is now coming to a head.
Ateba claims he is being removed from the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) as retribution for pressing Jean-Pierre on tough issues and asking hard questions.
"They refuse to renew my membership," Ateba told Tucker Carlson on Thursday. "They are trying to help the press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, because when you do the right thing, when you ask the right question, they try to silence you and try to censor you."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The only thing they are doing to me right now is trying to punish me for trying to be a real journalist for asking the question that the American people really care about," he continued. "And it's shameful. It's a disgrace, and the president of the White House Correspondents Association, Tamara Keith, who worked for NPR, a publicly funded media organization, should be ashamed of herself."
In a letter Ateba posted on Twitter, WHCA Executive Director Steven Thomma wrote Ateba's membership was being revoked over concerns with his employment qualifications and past behavior.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The committee noted repeated instances where your behavior violated the expectations for membership outlined in our bylaws, which have been detailed to you previously," the letter read.
The association was founded to ensure journalists have access to their First Amendment rights by covering the White House, and it also controls access to Jean-Pierre's regular press briefings.
"The White House Correspondents’ Association exists to promote excellence in journalism as well as journalism education, and to ensure robust news coverage of the president and the presidency," the website reads.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It continued, "Each day, we work to ensure that the men and women who cover the White House have the ability to seek answers from powerful officials, up to and including the President."
But Ateba said Keith, who is the White House correspondent for NPR and the association's president, refused to renew his WHCA membership as punishment for asking tough questions that Americans want answers to.
A person familiar with the matter said Ateba still has access to White House press briefings and his WHCA membership was not revoked.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The source said Ateba has not met the WHCA's requirements to provide employment verification, despite repeated requests, in order to renew his membership.
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Back in January, Ateba said Jean-Pierre had not called on him during press briefings for months.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She even rebuked Ateba in December 2022 for speaking out of turn after he asked why Daily Caller White House correspondent Diana Glebova couldn't ask Dr. Anthony Fauci a question about the origins of COVID-19.
"You need to call people across the room. She has a valid question; she's asked about the origin of COVID," Ateba said.
"It is not your turn," Jean-Pierre retorted back. "I hear your question, but we're not doing this the way you want it. This is disrespectful … Simon, I'm done. Simon, I'm done. I'm done with you right now. You're taking time away from your colleagues."
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Ateba expressed disbelief that he has experienced censorship in the United States after fleeing Africa to come to what he called the "beacon of free speech."
"Karine Jean-Pierre, she's totally incompetent, she can't even answer basic questions," Ateba said. "She lies a lot… She's lied repeatedly about the classified documents, even other things… I never believed that this could happen to me in the United States."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"In Africa, when we look up to the U.S., we saw the beacon of light, the beacon of excellence, the beacon of free speech, but here I am, right in the White House, in the most powerful house in the world, being censored, been punished by Tamara Keith of NPR, the WHCA, who are totally incompetent and colluding with the White House to punish someone who is doing the right thing."
Ateba claims Jean-Pierre refused to meet with him until 2024 over the pair's frequent clashes.
Fox News' Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.