Breitbart loses battle for legitimacy on Capitol Hill

breitbart will not get its White House press credentials renewed. — (Image credit: Ben Jackson/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Breitbart News has been denied a request for permanent press passes to cover Congress and its current temporary passes, which expire May 31, will not be extended, BuzzFeed News reports. Breitbart has spent the last month petitioning the standing committee of the U.S. Senate Daily Press Gallery for the passes, which serve as a symbol of legitimacy for reporters covering the Hill.

In late March, the committee denied Breitbart's initial request for permanent passes, citing a need for "more answers" regarding Stephen Bannon's role with the company. Bannon served as the organization's former executive chair, and now works as the White House chief strategist. The committee expressed concerns about Bannon's potentially ongoing involvement in Breitbart, which sparked CEO Larry Solov to send the committee a written masthead purporting to show that Bannon severed ties with the media organization in November. But beyond "us trusting Larry," a committee member noted that there was no actual evidence proving Bannon had divorced himself from Breitbart.

The committee's concerns remained upon review in April. The members noted that Bannon's date of departure, disclosed on White House financial forms, was different than the date suggested by Solov. Additionally, the committee was concerned with the masthead's ties to outside groups, such as the conservative nonprofit Government Accountability Institute. What's more, Breitbart does not have an office that is zoned for commercial use. Solov told the committee he is looking for a new office, but the issue has not been resolved and he offered no update.

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"The whole thing suggests to me they are not ready for a credential," a committee member said.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.