Bezos Backfires on deleting WP 'Harris Gigi' editorial

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, one of the world's richest men, has been criticized for allegedly deleting his own Washington Post editorial supporting Vice President Kamala Harris.

William Lewis, editor and CEO of the WP, wrote to readers on the 25th local time that he would not endorse any specific presidential candidate from this presidential election.

The WP reported in a separate article that two reporters drafted an editorial declaring their support for Harris but did not post it, adding, "The decision was made by Bezos, the owner."

The WP has supported Democratic presidential candidates in every presidential election since 1976, except for the 1988 presidential election.

In a statement, Lewis denied Bezos had read the editorial draft or offered an opinion, but he has been inundated with criticism from inside and outside.

In a statement, the newspaper union said it was deeply concerned about the decision just 11 days before the presidential election, adding, "There are a series of cancellations of subscriptions from loyal readers."

Seventeen opinion writers also pointed out in a statement that the decision was a "terrible mistake and a abandonment of the newspaper's fundamental editorial beliefs."

Pulitzer Prize winner David Maranis lamented that "a newspaper that has worked for 47 years is dying in the dark" and political scientist and newspaper editor Robert Kagan said he was stepping down as editor.

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein also issued a statement calling the "Watergate scoop" in the WP "ignoring overwhelming reporting evidence from the WP on the threat Donald Trump poses to democracy."