Democratic Congressman Screams at Politico Journalist: ‘Who Gave You the Right To Take My Photo, A**hole?’
Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images
Rep. David Scott (D-GA) screamed at a Politico photojournalist on Thursday for taking a photo of the 79-year-old congressman as he entered the Capitol building.
According to the Thursday edition of Politico’s Playbook, staff photographer Francis Chung “began taking photos of Scott as an aide pushed his wheelchair” towards the Capitol when things turned south.
“As Chung continued taking photos — as is his right in a public place — Scott turned his head to the side where Chung was and yelled, ‘Who gave you the right to take my picture, asshole?'” Politico reported.
Scott’s staffer then reportedly returned to the scene and continued to harass the journalist.
“I’m going to ask you to not come and take a picture of us as we’re trying to get into the Capitol,” complained the staffer. “I’m going to ask you very nicely to not do that. We will be reaching out to your editor, whoever it is we have to reach out to.”
The report included one of the photos Chung took during the incident, which showed Scott in a wheelchair yelling at the camera while the staffer could be seen extending his arm toward Chung in protest.
Scott’s office reportedly declined to comment on the incident when asked by Politico.
NBC contributor and Punchbowl News senior congressional reporter Melanie Zanona confirmed the story on social media, claiming that she “saw and heard Scott yell” at Chung and call the photographer an “asshole.”
Scott was replaced as the Democratic leader of the House Agriculture Committee this month after the 79-year-old was elected to his 11th term in Congress.
In recent years, Scott’s colleagues have become increasingly concerned over Scott’s health and ability to perform his duties in the Committee.
In February, Politico reported that the congressman “frequently reads from a script and at times has trouble carrying out substantive conversations in real time about much of the food and agriculture policy that he oversees,” citing “more than a dozen lawmakers, congressional staff, lobbyists and agriculture advocates who have spoken with Scott in recent months.”
Politico also reported that Scott was “carefully guarded by staff,” with former aides claiming that “his personal chief of staff, Catherine Harney, exerts what they view as an unusual amount of control over the workings of the Agriculture Committee minority.”
