Hedges Ends Short-Lived CD12 Green Party Candidacy; Prohibited By FCC Rules

By Insider NJ | May 28, 2020, 4:23 pm | in News

Chris Hedges announced that he won’t be running for Congress in CD12, after all, after being informed that he is not permitted to run for federal office under FCC rules. Hedges had announced his intentions to run on Wednesday.

The Green Party released the following statement.

Regretfully, Chris Hedges was informed shortly after he made public his decision to run as the Green Party candidate for Congress in the 12th District of New Jersey that under FCC rules he is not permitted to run for federal office. Hedges hosts the Emmy-nominated television show On Contact broadcast nationally on RT America.

“As much as I would like to bring the platform of the Green Party into this Congressional race it makes no sense to give up a media platform with a large following for a Quixotic campaign against the Democratic Party machine,” Hedges said. “I will, therefore, not run for the Greens as a Congressional candidate. I will, as in past elections, do all I can to highlight the progressive programs of the Greens and call out the corporate Democrats for their abject subservience to corporate power, the war machine and the ruling oligarchs.”

“GPNJ was thrilled to have worked with Chris Hedges and endorsed his run,” said Diane Moxley, co-chair elect of the Green Party of New Jersey. “Unfortunately sometimes there are snags that prevent candidates from running that are out of our hands. Although it was short-lived, there was already a huge level of support locally and nationally immediately following the public announcement for Chris Hedges’ run for Congress. We know his voice will be out there hitting on the issues that most politicians ignore, the need to end the systems that cause the death and destruction that plague our country. We will all continue to fight for a just world. We are happy to have Mr. Hedges as an ally right here in New Jersey.”

“Chris Hedges’ intention to run for U.S. Congress in New Jersey showed just how ready people are for a real alternative to the Democrats and Republicans and the political machine that exists in this state,” said Madelyn Hoffman, GPNJ’s candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020. “His support for the Greens and our progressive platform lends credence to those programs we will continue to put forward. This country is in dire need of a total overhaul in government — as the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic reveal.”

Craig Cayetano, State Co-Chair, was proud of the immediate camaraderie around the original announcement and remains optimistic despite this update. He said “While I’m saddened by this news I’m glad to see that Mr. Hedges is willing to continue to advocate on our behalf. We still have amazing campaigns in New Jersey and nationally this year to support. We will definitely reach back to Chris at the end of 2021 to explore a run for 2022. We are welcoming new registered and dues paying members each day. Let’s continue to build, organize and grow the Green Party now to be prepared for the future.”

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Serious1

I am going to wait for the correct people to do what needs to be done to eliminate these two corrupt parties. It should not be much longer as these parties have been successful in destroying the country for their corporate overlords. No more trumps and bidens as they only bring despair and destruction. Either peaceful revolution or violent revolution left now.
- Bill Hemer
  
  Trump is a neofascist leading a neofascist movement. Biden is a moderate Democrat, with the support of Bernie Sanders because Trump is the most dangerous President that we have ever had. I don’t think that there is any valid comparison. Making the space for peaceful revolution would be extremely difficult with Trump in office again.
Bill Hemer

I would like to know the specific FCC rule which Chris Hedges would violate if he ran for this Congressial office. It is not stated, when that is central to this story! If it has something to do with his television show on Russian-owned RT American, then this should be stated. RT America had to register as a foreign agent in the United States. I just want to see the whole story.
- Wolfenotes
  
  Do you think Hedges is a “foreign agent”. State your views and back them up with facts – don’t resort to McCarthyite smear.
  - Bill Hemer
    
    I thought that I had already responded to this. Please read what I actually wrote. I never said that Hedges is a “foreign agent.” I have tremendous respect for Chris Hedges, although I disagree with his soft-on Trump political positions. I wanted to see Mr. Hedges clarify why he couldn’t run for office while having a TV show. I read that RT America had to register as a foreign agent in the United States because it is a propaganda front for Putin-controlled Russian. I don’t know why Chris Hedges would want anything to do with RT America.
    - Wolfenotes
      
      I read what you wrote and what it implied. While you never said Hedges was a “foreign agent”, you instead implied it – look up the word innuendo.
      
      As I suspected, you are a Democratic Party hack and a smear artist of the Russia-gate school. Your “RT propaganda – as foreign agent” reveals that.
      
      I simply don’t understand how you could claim that you had “tremendous respect” for Hedges’ work. It’s obvious that you don’t understand it. If you were familiar with Hedges work, you know why he uses RT as a platform – because the US media is too corporate and corrupt to air his views (and those of many others on the left).
      
      Hedges is not “soft on Trump” – he simply argues that Trump is a symptom not the cause. And he correctly blasts Democrats for their corporate ties and betrayal of the working class.

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Hedges Ends Short-Lived CD12 Green Party Candidacy; Prohibited By FCC Rules

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