Washington Free Beacon:
Washington Post reporter Janell Ross gave a presentation at a secretive California gathering where Democratic politicians, liberal activists, and their biggest donors plotted the future of the progressive movement without notifying her superiors that she would be attending, according to a Post spokesman.
The Democracy Alliance went to great lengths to keep the identities of its members and guests confidential at its fall investment conference last week at the La Costa Resort, but the Washington Free Beacon obtained a detailed conference agenda that lists both events and featured guests.
Among them was Ross, a national reporter who closely covered the 2016 presidential campaign for the Washington Post and has since continued to cover the Trump administration.
Ross sat on a panel to assist conference-goers on the topic of “getting the economic narrative right” in future elections, according to the agenda, which can be viewed in full here.
Ross, whose panel was sandwiched by a talk with liberal billionaire George Soros and a message by Democratic senator Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) on Russian interference in the 2016 election, helped attendees explore questions such as: “What do progressives stand for?”
“In this panel discussion, developed by the DA’s Inclusive Economy Fund, we pose some fundamental questions, including: What do progressives stand for? How do we grapple with the tough issues? What story are we trying to tell and how does it play out in communities across the country? How do we translate what the polls and research tell us into the compelling narratives that will build the public will to reorient our economy and combat inequality?”
The panel was framed in the agenda as a response to the 2016 election, in which Democrats were criticized for failing to understand the economic concerns in areas of the country carried by President Trump.
“Progressives were knocked flat in 2016, but in our scramble to understand and react to what happened, we run the risk of forcing ourselves into false divides,” the agenda writes. “We risk losing focus on the deep systemic flaws in our economic and social frameworks that leave vast numbers of Americans vulnerable and insecure.”
Ross told the Washington Free Beacon in a Monday email she was unable to answer questions on her appearance without clearance from the Washington Post‘s public relations team, to whom she reached out. Ross did not respond to numerous follow-up emails on Tuesday.
The Washington Post said it was unaware Ross was at the Democracy Alliance conference until the Washington Free Beacon asked whether she had permission to be there.
“We’ve only now learned about her participation in this event,” said a spokesperson.
The spokesperson added that Ross has been “reminded” that the paper “discourages” involvement in events that may be “perceived as partisan.”