A campaign staffer for Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany blocked Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Mary Spicuzza from attending a roundtable discussion in Milwaukee on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026.
Tiffany Campaign Defends Excluding Reporter from Roundtable
A social media video from CBS 58 documented Tiffany campaign staff member Eric Brooks blocking Spicuzza from entering the venue. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Brooks explained that the campaign “would like to see the Journal Sentinel cover the race fairly and when that happens we’ll be happy to accommodate.”
A social media account tied to Tiffany’s campaign subsequently labeled Spicuzza a “liberal activist,” asserting that this designation justified barring her while permitting other outlets and even another Journal Sentinel reporter inside. WBAY reported that the campaign’s online statement argued Spicuzza had written multiple negative headlines about Tiffany without publishing comparable critiques of her Democratic opponent, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
When other journalists at the event pressed Tiffany regarding the exclusion, the candidate stated he talks to the press regularly and noted a Journal Sentinel photographer was permitted inside the roundtable. WKOW reported that Tiffany told reporters he would “have to go back and talk to my communications team” regarding why specific staff members blocked Spicuzza.
Newsroom Executives and Opponents Condemn Access Restrictions
Journal Sentinel Executive Editor Greg Borowski criticized the restriction, stating that the campaign never raised any fairness concerns directly with him. Borowski emphasized that reporters attend political events to serve the public interest.
“When our reporters cover campaigns and attend political events, they are there on behalf of the public,” Borowski said, as quoted by WPR. “Blocking them blocks the public from vital information.” Borowski added that the newspaper’s coverage of candidates, their backgrounds, and their positions will continue unaffected.
Fellow journalists also pushed back online. WKOW noted that reporter Jessie Opoien defended her colleague on X, writing that Spicuzza is “a fair reporter and a good person who takes her job seriously.”
Meanwhile, Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley sharply criticized Tiffany’s actions. In an interview with WPR, Crowley accused Tiffany of dishonesty, pointing out that Tiffany told reporters on Sept. 22 that he would never turn away a reporter from covering his events. A statement from Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Emily Stuckey, reported by WBAY, called the blockade “absolutely disqualifying” and compared it directly to restrictions imposed by Donald Trump.
Broader Legal Battles Over Press Access
The incident in Milwaukee mirrors recent national flashpoints over media access. The Tiffany campaign’s decision to bar Spicuzza occurred just days after President Donald Trump blocked reporters from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico at the White House. Those targeted outlets subsequently filed a federal lawsuit, resulting in a federal judge restoring their access for at least 14 days on Thursday.
Wisconsin politics also holds a legal precedent regarding press briefings and political exclusions. In 2019, the conservative MacIver Institute for Public Policy sued Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in federal court, alleging that state officials violated First Amendment rights by blocking certain staff members from a press briefing. A federal judge ruled in favor of Evers, a decision that the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later upheld and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected on appeal.
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