Local Republican DA tells reporter that she hopes their colleague “burns in a fire”

Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf told a Pennlive reporter last week that she hopes their co-worker “burns in a fire” over an investigation into the office’s handling of sex crimes. This comes when attacks on the press are on the rise.  

President Donald Trump isn’t the only Republican with an ax to grind against the media.

Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf recently told a Pennlive reporter that she hopes their colleague “burns in a fire” over reporting about the DA’s office. 

The incident stems back to a call Graf had with reporters last week after a father two residents were charged for running over a red fox with their snow mobiles.

According to Pennlive, Graf would only agree to answer questions from the outlet if Christine Vendel, who oversees breaking news and investigations at Pennlive, was not present on the call. 

Graf took umbrage with Vendel’s reporting that Lebanon County has one of the lowest prosecution rates for sex crimes in Pennsylvania. 

“She’s an awful person. I hope she burns in a fire,” Graf told Vendel’s co-worker. 

Graf then went on to deny Pennlive an interview because Vendel was going to be present. 

“I reviewed my calendar for media requests tomorrow. PennLive designated Ms. Vendel as their representative. We are declining your interview request. Have a nice weekend,” Graf wrote in an email. 

Graf would later attempt to walk back her remarks in a statement to the media.

“The comments were said out of frustration over the biased reporting coming from a particular reporter. While I regret the words I chose, they do convey the level of frustration I’ve had due to the one-sided and biased opinions that have been presented in recent articles,” Graf said.

This type of rhetoric directed towards journalists and reporters isn’t anything new in the age of Trump. 

Prior to the election, Trump told supporters that he wouldn’t mind if someone shot the journalists sitting in front of him, and a survey conducted by the International Center for Journalists found a “disturbing tolerance for political bullying of the press.”

According to the poll, 27% said they have seen or heard of a journalist being threatened, harassed or abused online. 

Almost half of Republicans (47%) approved of those politicians or officials criticizing the media, while 22% of Democrats share similar feelings. 

The Lebanon County NAACP filed a formal complaint with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Board over Graf’s remarks. 

“We find this public utterance by D.A. Graf deeply troubling and unbecoming of an officer of the court because it serves to undermine, subvert, and degrade the public’s confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary,” the letter stated.