St. Louis news commentator resigns after threatening David Hogg on Twitter

Sinclair-owned station cancels show amid advertiser outrage

ST LOUIS – A St. Louis news commentator has resigned after he threatened to sexually assault Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg on Twitter.

Jamie Allman, the host of  the nightly news show "The Allman Report" on ABC affiliate KDNL, wrote on March 26 that he was "hanging out getting ready"  to assault Hogg with "a hot poker."

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St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote about the tweet over the weekend, leading many advertisers, including Ruth’s Chris Steak House, to cut ties with Allman's show. By Monday, Allman left the station, owned by the Sinclair Co., and his show had been canceled.

“We have accepted Mr. Allman’s resignation, and his show has been canceled,” Ronn Torossian, a spokesman for Sinclair Broadcast Group, told The Washington Post.

Sinclair has recently come under intense criticism for requiring its news anchors across the country to read identical announcements, warning of the dangers of "fake news." Many commentators said the announcements echoed President Donald Trump's attacks on the news media.

The Maryland-based company has also mandated that its local stations broadcast commentary segments by Boris Epshteyn, a former Trump campaign official and staunch defender of the president.

Since the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Hogg has become an outspoken advocate for gun control, angering many right-wing commentators. Hogg has been the target of false stories, and images of Hogg have been altered, with some putting him in Nazi uniforms and poses.

Hogg has not publicly commented on Allman's remarks.

Last month, Fox News host Laura Ingraham lost a number of her advertisers after she mocked Hogg after he failed to get into several universities. Ingraham eventually apologized and Fox News official have said they stand by their host despite the financial fallout.