Wes Moore slams Baltimore Solar as ‘right-wing’ forward of exposé story

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Earlier than The Baltimore Sun printed a phrase of its reported investigation into Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s document, the Democrat state chief and his workforce had been already blasting the paper’s new possession as "right-wing" and comfy with President Donald Trump.

The Baltimore Solar, which was bought by Sinclair government chairman David D. Smith in 2024, is reportedly analyzing Moore’s army document, scholastic sports activities tenure and different components of his background, Semafor reported earlier this week, citing the Solar has introduced on investigative reporters from sister retailers below the Sinclair umbrella.

"It’s truly a really unhappy day as a result of the Baltimore Solar was our paper of document. It’s now develop into the paper of the suitable wing," Moore informed former Biden spokeswoman Jen Psaki in a latest interview, after Psaki famous the Solar was bought in 2024 by Smith.

Moore, who has downplayed talks of a 2028 presidential bid, has beforehand confronted scrutiny for itemizing a Bronze Star on a Bush-era White Home fellowship utility earlier than he acquired the award, in addition to questions in regards to the depth of his Baltimore roots throughout his 2022 race towards then-Gov. Larry Hogan. Moore in the end acquired the Bronze Star in 2024.

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Sinclair Broadcast Group CEO David Smith is seen in 1998. (Gordon Chibroski/Getty Photographs)

"[Y]ou’ve had a MAGA billionaire who's now currying favor for [President Donald Trump ] and using what was a prized paper for our area and now turning it to one thing that isn't rather more than right-wing drivel," Moore mentioned.

The governor added that Military members he served with don’t query his integrity in the identical manner and that Smith is the "canary within the coalmine" for rich conservatives attempting to make use of their assets to please Trump, together with utilizing the media.

The interview elicited a prolonged rebuttal from the managing editor of the Smith-linked outlet investigating Moore: Highlight on Maryland. The outlet is a collaboration between the Sinclair-owned FOX affiliate in Baltimore, ABC affiliate in Washington and the Solar.

"Democrats certain are placing in lots of work to discredit a sequence earlier than it is even began operating. That alone ought to elevate a query: why?," Highlight on Maryland managing editor Candy Woodall tweeted , captioning Moore’s interview.

Woodall claimed Moore’s workplace threatened to disseminate information to "each media reporter" to attempt to discredit her investigation.

"We noticed the identical playbook in 2022 when a FOX-45 reporter requested why Moore allowed claims that he had acquired a Bronze Star that he did not have on the time. His workforce accused the reporter and media outlet of bias and a smear marketing campaign," she wrote.

"Two years later, after the New York Instances wrote in regards to the Bronze Star Moore hadn't acquired, the narrative modified, and the governor mentioned it was ‘an sincere mistake’. In an August 2024 assertion on his army document, Moore acknowledged he knew earlier than leaving Afghanistan that he had not acquired the award."

In that assertion, Moore mentioned his deputy brigade commander inspired him to use for a White Home fellowship and concurrently beneficial him for a Bronze Star and informed him to incorporate that on his utility.

Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, throughout an announcement within the South Court docket Auditorium of the Eisenhower Govt Workplace Constructing on the White Home in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg)

He added that in his officer analysis, his superiors ranked him within the prime 1% of Operation Enduring Freedom officers and known as him "the perfect lieutenant I've encountered…" earlier than later noting he "sincerely want[ed he] had gone again to right the word on my utility."

Woodall pushed again once more in her tweet, saying that her journalists’ loyalties aren’t to officers however to Marylanders and that her workforce despatched "lots of" of inquiries to Moore and his workers to scant responses.

She claimed a Moore official admitted Spotlight doesn’t deserve to be handled like a information outlet and "nothing that comes out of Sinclair needs to be taken severely."

"If you wish to know extra, preserve studying The Baltimore Solar, a 200-year-old newspaper that has survived many governors," she quipped.

When requested for a response, Moore press secretary Ammar Moussa informed Fox News Digital that "in gentle of revelations that Sinclair proprietor and Trump-donor David Smith is personally concerned in Highlight on Maryland's reporting, what's the extent of Sinclair proprietor and Donald Trump ally David Smith's affect within the FOX-45 and Baltimore Solar newsrooms?"

He additionally mentioned Highlight reporter Gary Collins is "not a journalist," directing Fox Information Digital to an X response to Collins, criticizing him as a former Maryland Republican Social gathering official "working on the course of your Trump-supporting boss."

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"I'll proceed to report information, similar to my colleagues do," Collins mentioned.

Collins had additionally printed a March 26 report on a roundtable Moore participated in close to a Washington County warehouse rumored to be destined as an ICE facility.

Collins' piece famous Moore's grievance in regards to the feds' "lack of transparency" and contrasted it with what he mentioned was the same dynamic in Annapolis.

"[Moore's] administration has but to launch full documentation tied to his army document, educational historical past, and prior credentials — information Highlight On Maryland has requested for months," Collins wrote, occurring to scribe that Solar co-owner and Moore good friend Armstrong Williams penned a column calling on the governor to "inform the reality and launch the information."

Moussa additionally took goal at Woodall, asking her if Smith was behind her prolonged tweet.

"Did your Trump-supporting boss write this? Or does he solely monitor your emails?" Moussa mentioned.

Smith beforehand ruffled feathers on the left when Sinclair pulled "Jimmy Kimmel Reside!" from its lineup following the controversial comedian’s response to Charlie Kirk’s homicide. Sinclair is reportedly the most important proprietor of associates of ABC – the community that employs Kimmel.

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Fox Information Digital reached out to Sinclair and Smith for added touch upon Friday.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox Information Digital.

He joined Fox Information in 2013 as a author and manufacturing assistant.

Charles covers media , politics and tradition for Fox Information Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple College with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story suggestions may be despatched to charles.creitz@fox.com.