OP-ED: SHOULD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STOP CALLING AMERICAN ELECTIONS AFTER LONG-TIME BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMP BUSINESS ALLY, IMG, HAS BEEN CONFIRMED?
- Al Thompson
- Posted on Thursday, June 27, 2024
IMG also has business ties to people in the Biden Administration orbit and has international athletic competition properties involving Americans that have been rebuked for steroid use by competitors and steroid-related fatalities.
While doing research about the ongoing problem with the epidemic level use of steroids by our youth, I discovered what l consider a significant conflict of interest that exists between the IMG/Endeavor/WME enterprise and its business partner, the Associated Press...which I believe disqualifies the Associated Press from having anything to do with calling our elections at any level.
In a June 4, 2024 email, Associated Press Corporate Communications Vice President, Lauren Easton confirmed the relationship through a venture called SNTV.
She provided a link to the SNTV "about" page where the joint venture is listed in a paragraph.
At that time, I did not find a reference to this business venture on either the Associated Press or IMG websites. But they may get added now this has been brought up.
Yes, the relationship is listed online, but as far as I can see, in a place that is virtually un-searchable. The only reason I knew of the relationship is from when I saw it listed as a marketing material on the IMG website in or around 2014.
IMG apparently deleted the page after I confronted the Associated Press office in New York about it.
The Associated Press has declined to comment on this story.
With the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act in place and interest in a congressional hearing to pull back the curtain on the steroid world and its impact on our youth and on athletics, I decided to check on the status of the relationship.
In my opinion, both political parties and independents should be made aware of this business relationship, the sooner the better.
My concern -and it should be everyone's - is the behavior of the IMG/Endeavor/WME enterprise with regards owning and operating a number steroid-infested, condemned strength and bodybuilding competitions that may be responsible for the over three million kids/young people abusing themselves with anabolic steroids both in America and the United Kingdom. There are many deaths attributed to these untested events.
The other concern is significant because IMG has had a longtime business relationship with the Associated Press, a nonprofit news organization that is supposed to be independent enough to call our major elections.
IMG has had significant business ventures with Donald Trump and, after Trump lost in 2020, IMG forged deals with Kamala Harris' family and others in the Biden orbit.
Many are listed in the email I sent to AP executives.
Again, AP calls all our major elections. IMG, next to Arnold Schwarzenegger, is the largest promoter of steroids, through their properties, in the world. AP's lack of coverage with regards to steroid events, especially IMG's... plus steroid-related legislation and fatalities is, in my opinion, very disturbing.
In September 2019 I started visiting Washington DC as a volunteer for Paul Massaro, Senior Advisor for the Helsinki Commission. His commission crafted the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act that makes sports doping at international athletic events that involve Americans an act of felony fraud.
I made three trips to Washington DC visiting the offices of over 40 elected officials (U.S. Senate and the House) to talk up the legislation and push to have it formally adapted to strength and bodybuilding events that are owned by the IMG/Endeavor/WME enterprise and Arnold Schwarzenegger and who refuse to ban steroids and back it up with testing.
My effort was paused in March 2020 as Washington was closed for two years for the pandemic. But the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act passed through congress in fantastic fashion.
The last five trips (since spring of 2022) where to push to get a congressional hearing - hopefully in the Senate - to get the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act adapted to the massive international athletic competitions/events that involve Americans, that have rampant steroid use and a high rate of fatalities yet steadfastly refuse to test for steroids and other illegal performance enhancing drugs.
POYS, along with the NFL, MLB, NHL the PGA Tour and all the Olympic Teams are official endorsers of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act that passed in December 2020 with a 100-0 vote in the U.S. Senate. See attached letter to congress.
In this country, sports doping at international athletic events that involve Americans is an act of felony fraud. Several IMG properties check all the boxes to be in violation of this relatively new legislation. But IMG refuses to test its competitors...many openly admit their steroid use and in the case of bodybuilders, even publish their steroid routine.
The IMG/Endeavor/WME enterprise own or co-own steroid-infested properties including the "World's Strongest Man," (condemned in PA by our House of Representatives), The WWE, UFC and "Athleticon" (co-owned with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) see attached flyer that was recently deleted from the IMG website.
IMG is partnered with the nonprofit that calls our elections.
The IMG/Endeavor/WME enterprise steroid-themed events/competitions, some now partnered with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plus Arnold Schwarzenegger's steroid competitions/events are among the worst offenders of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, IMO as well as others I have talk to during my visits to Washington.
Officials for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation have told me this is an area that is "ripe for oversight" and that we are in line for a hearing, but there is no timeline. I have also reached out to HELP (Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions).
If POYS is blessed to get a hearing scheduled, how can the Associated Press cover this?
Is their relationship the reason why there is so little reason why AP does not cover IMG missteps and steroid-related enterprises?
HYPOCRISY BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS APPEARS TO BE REAL
Was there any coverage by the AP of the steroid use by IMG competitors or the fatalities on its steroid-infested “World’s Strongest Man" TV Show?
How often has AP covered anything regarding steroid use by IMG properties? I cannot find any.
I remember when the Associated Press demanded BCS college football panels to stop using its poll to determine its playoff teams over integrity issues it claimed. Here is an excerpt from a 2004 story that appeared on ESPN.com (link provided).
"The AP said such use was never sanctioned and had reached the
point where it threatened to undermine the independence and
integrity of the poll.
The AP sent BCS coordinator Kevin Weiberg a cease-and-desist
letter, dated Dec. 21, stating that use of the poll is unlawful and
harms the AP's reputation."
https://www.espn.com/college-
After seeing that the Associated Press has had a business relationship with the IMG/Endeavor/WME enterprise for decades, a corporation whose properties have been condemned twice unanimously by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's House of Representatives for IMG's property's (World's Strongest Man) lack of testing for steroids, rampant steroid use and high fatality rate, I have to ask how was this relationship allowed to go on for so long without at least the AP's nonprofit status being revoked?
Along with Arnold Schwarzenegger's events - also condemned in PA - IMG's properties have not only contaminated athletics here in the United States, but in the United Kingdom as well. POYS is in communication with both media members (not AP) and a member of Parliament about how many kids/young people are now using steroids.
From what data we can find (it is poor), over three million kids/young people are abusing themselves in both countries with steroids...that comes to almost $9 billion in sales (our best estimate) for the pharmaceutical industry with no oversight by our governments and virtually no impactful coverage by corporate media...and it appears one of the worst, if not the worst offender of this lack of attention from the media, is the Associated Press.
POYS has been pushing for a congressional hearing for two years to look into this. IMG and Arnold Schwarzenegger steadfastly refuse to administer any kind of creditable drug testing of its competitors...why?
Perhaps there are nine billion reasons why.
On three different occasions over the years, IMG has sent their attorneys to harass POYS.
We don't know the extent all the damage these events have caused ...but IMG CEOs Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell having the Associated Press in their back pockets sure gives the IMG/Endeavor/WME enterprise a serious advantage with keeping the real facts and information about steroids, and the damage it has done to athletics and our kids' health from getting to the public and to public officials everywhere...who care about the health and welfare of our youth.
LOOKING FOR ANSWERS
I have covered high school, college and professional sports for over 35 years. I have covered pro sports in stadiums throughout the four corners of this country.
I have sat side-by-side in press rooms across America during that time with Associated Press writers covering the same event. I have found the writers I've met to be professional and honest. But those writers are usually assigned to those competitions, correct?
How would he or she know if they are intentionally being kept from reporting on events that could pull back the curtain on unethical or potentially criminal behavior or acts by IMG/Endeavor/WME Enterprise officials?
IMG PROPERTIES LACED WITH STEROID USE
World's Strongest Man – no testing or steroids or other illegal PEDS. Multiple deaths and rampant steroid use. WSM has been formally rebuked by the State of Pennsylvania House of Representative twice. Several competitors have died.
In 2014 PA coroner Graham Hetrick called a press conference to report that IMG World's Strongest Man competitor Mike Jenkins had poisoned himself to death from long term steroid use. He had won “The Arnold” the year before and finished on IMG's WSM podium three times including in 2013...he was a strongman star and an IMG athlete. Please see the 2016 PA House of Representatives resolution rebuking "IMG's World's Strongest Man."
Mike was a regular player – offensive line – on James Madison University's 2004 national championship team – several teammates went on to the NFL.
Graham Hetrick told me his people contacted the appropriate AP office and AP was a no show.
No coverage at all by AP on this. Again, Mike was an IMG athlete.
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WWE (IMG purchased 50% ownership April 2023)– WWE/WWF has been troubled for decades with rampant steroid and recreational drug use. Many deaths. Vince and Linda McMahon allowed Brock Lesnar to ignore a USADA UFC one-year suspension in 2017 and allowed Lesnar to perform and make $12 million himself alone...highest grossing performer in the WWE pay-per-view that year...all while under a USADA suspension...
When pressed by outlets like TMZ, the WWE issued a statement saying Brock Lesnar is a part time performer for the WWE and the WWE does not test part-timers, ignoring the fact that Lesnar was already suspended. No AP coverage.
Also, WWE wrestler Windham Rotunda (stage name Bray Wyatt) died suddenly August 23, 2023...He was 36 years of age...AP? It reprinted a press release from IMG. No mention of the WWE's long history of steroid use and fatalities. WWE said he died of heart issues and floated a conspiracy theory about long COVID. No actual reporting of the sudden death of a WWE star who was an IMG athlete at the time of his death...AP's partner.
Here is all we got from AP on a major WWE star and an IMG athlete.
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Updated 10:41 PM EDT, August 24, 2023
World Wrestling Entertainment star Bray Wyatt died Thursday, WWE announced. He was 36.
Wyatt, whose real name was Windham Rotunda, died “unexpectedly,” according to an article on the WWE website that did not mention a cause of death.
“WWE is saddened to learn that Windham Rotunda, also known as Bray Wyatt, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 24, at age 36,” WWE said. “WWE extends its condolences to Rotunda’s family, friends and fans.”
Wyatt, the 2017 WWE champion, was also known as “The Fiend.” His last televised performance came at the 2023 Royal Rumble.
“Known for his captivating performances and incredible in-ring presence, Wyatt was a defining superstar of his generation,” WWE said.
Wyatt was the son of Mike and Stephanie Rotunda.
Wyatt’s grandfather Robert Deroy Windham (Blackjack Mulligan), father, and two of his uncles (Barry and Kendall Windham) all wrestled in WWE. His grandfather also played college football at UTEP and saw preseason action for the New York Jets.
Wyatt redshirted on the Troy football team in 2007.
That was it...There is no credible coverage by AP on any of this at least that we can see.
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PA resolutions that rebuked “The Arnold” and IMG's World's Strongest Man plus a number of IMG WSM qualifiers for these events' lack of testing for steroids, rampant steroid use and high fatality rate.
The resolutions passed unanimously in 2014 and again in 2016.
The 2014 resolution has a press conference that was aired on Pennsylvania public television live to millions of TV sets across the state.
No coverage by Associated Press.
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I sent Message sent to the Associated Press website a few weeks ago...a lot of the message contained info listed above...this is the last sentence of the sent message...I am putting this here by memory.
“Also, can the Associated Press show any coverage of IMG Academy's role in the College Admission Scandal where IMG and/or IMG Academy are mentioned?
Also what about IMG officials William "Rick" Singer and Mark Riddell - both IMG Academy officials who ran the SAT testing scandal and went to jail for it?
Is there any mention of IMG in any AP coverage? Also does the AP have any coverage of the IMG College-Learfield DOJ investigation? It went on for a few years and had to do with illegal market fixing.
Has AP covered any of this and actually prints the letters I-M-G?”
There are scores of other steroid-related incidents involving IMG properties that AP – IMG’s partner – decided not to cover.
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IMG’S PRESIDENTIAL BUSINESS TIES
The Associated Press calls the results for virtually all federal elections including the presidential election. AP obviously does not certify anything, but they call winners and losers.
* IMG has a long business relationship with Donald Trump's businesses. IMG served as executive producer for The Miss Universe Pageant for 13 years before buying it from him in 2016.
* The former president told several media outlets that he wanted IMG to run entertainment for the 2016 RNC National Convention.
* IMG signed Vice President Kamala Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff to a modeling contract in 2021.
* IMG also signed Biden's campaign inauguration day star Amanda Gorman, the 22-year-old US national youth poet laureate to a modeling contract in 2021.
Not one FBI agent I have spoken to has heard of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, much less its whistleblower provision. I have asked for IMG to be held accountable for the behavior of all its steroid-themed events and all the addiction and deaths IMG's events I believe has caused.
I have made a number of trips to Washington DC asking for a committee hearing to ask IMG leaders Ari Emmanuel and Patrick Whitesell to answer questions under oath about their steroid enterprises.
If we get a hearing approved...how can the Associated Press cover it? Is there a cover up in place right now?
I believe these are valid questions and concerns.*
