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One of Vice President Mike Pences top political advisers is a major investor in the Independent Journal Review, a social media-minded news outlet geared toward young conservatives.

Nick Ayers, Pences top strategist outside of the White House, confirmed to BuzzFeed News that he owns part of IJR. He is also playing a major role in America First Priorities, a political group launched by Trump campaign advisers to trumpet the presidents message. He joined Trumps campaign when Pence was tapped as the vice presidential nominee and later acted as a senior advisor for the vice president-elect during the transition. Ayers previously worked as a political consultant and as campaign manager for former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlentys presidential bid in 2012.

Theres no indication that Ayers was involved in this weeks controversial State Department decision to grant the sole press spot on Secretary of State Rex Tillersons trip to Asia to IJRs White House correspondent. The move, a break from tradition, has enraged the State Department press corps as Tillerson makes big diplomatic news without a traditional pooler tagging along.

Ayers investment in IJR is another example of close ties between Trumps orbit and a favored media outlet. Steve Bannon, the presidents top strategist, ran Breitbart News for years and has brought with him to the administration a handful of ex-Breitbart staffers. The company has said that it no longer has financial and editorial ties to Bannon. Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner transferred his ownership of The New York Observer to a family trust.

Theres no sign that Ayers has had any editorial involvement with his investment, and a person involved in the company noted that IJR notably didnt benefit from insider leaks during the campaign.

The revelation of Ayerss investment comes as a series of recent IJR stories attracted wider attention. An IJR reporter had dinner near the president at DCs Trump Hotel based on a tip from a source. The site scooped the national media when it first reported that Neil Gorsuch would be Trumps Supreme Court nominee.

IJR also faced criticism for a story posted Thursday spreading a conspiracy theory that Barack Obama made a surprise visit to Hawaii to sway a judge there to block Trumps revised travel ban executive order. IJR later retracted the article and posted an editors note apologizing. The publications congressional reporter resigned Thursday over disagreements with IJRs direction.

IJR was founded in 2012 by Alex Skatell, who previously met Ayers when he worked in Republican politics, and Phil Musser, a former executive director of the Republican Governors Association.

The site has found success in fashioning viral right-leaning web content geared for heartland news consumers, like funny GOP candidate videos (Sen. Ted Cruz fired a gun wrapped in bacon, for instance). IJR has also sought to ramp up its reporting chops, hiring journalists from mainstream outlets and co-sponsoring a GOP debate with ABC.

This week, IJRs reporting push came at the expense other political news outlets. BuzzFeed News first reported that Erin McPike, IJRs White House correspondent, was the sole journalist selected for a spot on Tillersons trip. We dont take this opportunity lightly and recognize the controversy surrounding press access for the trip, Skatell said in a statement at the time.

McPikes selection became the subject of a heated State Department press briefing on Wednesday. Can you explain why, once a seat was identified on that plane that was available, the decision was made rather than to allow the press to send a pooler who would share information and actually allow us to work around not being there personally, the decision instead was made to handpick a conservative outlet to accompany the secretary and not to share that information? one reporter asked State Department spokesperson Mark Toner, according to a transcript.

In this specific trip and instance, it was decided to take to make an outside-the-box, if I could put it that way, decision to bring somebody in who doesnt necessarily cover the State Department, a media outlet that isnt steeped in foreign policy and give it a new, fresh perspective, Toner said.

On Friday, reporters complained on Twitter that McPike had not filed a piece yet, even though Tillerson made newsmaking comments about North Korea and decided cut his trip to South Korea short. While external advice is noted, Im working on a longer piece per explicit instructions from my supervisor, and I always have been, McPike tweeted. Skatell tweeted that he is to be blamed for McPikes silence: View is a series of tweets not best medium to convey a long form piece.

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A Top Adviser To Mike Pence Is An Investor In Favored Media Outlet - BuzzFeed News

US Vice President Mike Pence had an extraordinary speech about how he stood on the inauguration stand in January thinking about his Irish heritage - but it was a picture of Hillary Clinton that earned the biggest cheer on the night.

In an extraordinary and almost emotional speech, Mr Pence said: "All the I am, all that I will ever be and all the service that I will ever give is owed to my Irish heritage.

"As I serve the people of this country I will do so with the faith, the determination, the cheerfulness, the humility and the humour that is characteristic of the great people of the Emerald Isle."

Donald Trump's number two is the grandson of Richard Michael Cawley who emigrated from Tubbercurry, Co Sligo in 1923 to become a bus driver in Chicago.

He told The Ireland Fund dinner in Washington last night that people regularly ask him what went through his head as he was sworn in as the Vice President.

"I just keep thinking of that day in April 1923 when Richard Michael Cawley stepped off the boat in Ellis Island.

"I can't imagine what the sight of the statue of liberty meant to him that day. The torch of freedom," he said.

But it was a photograph of US Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton that earned the biggest cheer of the night.

Ireland Funds ran a montage of all the dinner's previous honourees and the photograph of Mrs Clinton sparked a massive applause, as Mike Pence watched on.

In front of 700 guests including Taoiseach Enda Kenny, the controversial politician had described his family as "a small part" of the story connecting Ireland and the United States.

"As I stood on that inaugural stage I just kept thinking of that Irishman. I kept thinking of what he would be thinking about looking down.

"One, knowing me as well as he did, he'd be extremely surprised," Mr Pence said to laughter.

"And two, I have to think he just thought he was right. He was right about America. He was right to summon the courage as generations did before and since to come here and follow their dreams."

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He was presented with a special award by The Ireland Fund and a copy of the Tubbercurry National School enrolment book that contained his grandfather's name.

"The truth is that whatever I honour I receive over the course of my time as Vice Present, to receive an honour in the name of the Irish people and my Irish heritage will count as chief among them," Mr Pence said.

His sisters, Annie and Mary, attended the lavish event in Washington's Museum Building, while his mother who had been due to travel was unable to due to the storm sweeping the east coast of America.

During a 15 minute speech, Mr Pence also spoke about his visits to Doonbeg, Co Clare where he has relatives.

He also told the gathering that he was able to bring "greetings from my friend, the leader of the free world".

Mr Pence said Donald Trump knew of the contribution the Irish have made to America.

"Irish immigrants and their descendants have been proud patriots," he said, adding that the Irish were among "the strongest and most vibrant threads of our national fabric".

Mr Pence praised the Irish economic recovery and said the success was "a testament" to the "strong" leadership of Enda Kenny over the past six years.

"Many leaders around the world would do well to emulate your leadership," he told the Taoiseach.

In his speech Mr Kenny said: "The Vice President has joined the distinguished list of Irish Americans who have occupied the highest political offices in the United States.

"We take special pride in the fact that, for the first time in the history of this great republic, one Irish American has succeeded another in the office of Vice President."

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Mike Pence tried with extraordinary speech about Irish heritage - but Hillary Clinton wins the biggest cheer of the ... - Irish Independent

President Trumps proposed budget eliminatesthe federal governments funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The reduction signals whatOffice of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney calls the goal of ending federal involvement with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

One interesting dimension to this goalis that in 2014, the Association of Public Television Stations gave itsChampion of Public Broadcasting award to one Indiana Governor MikePence.

In his acceptance speech for the award, Pence, now the Vice President,revealed hesa huge Downton Abbey fanthere is to be no discussion or tweeting among our children about what happens with Edith, what exactly Mr. Bates is up to, or whether Mary will pick a new suitor, he said. He also loves Ken Burns and spoke fondly of meeting the filmmaker at the Capitol Hill Club when he was a member of the House of Representatives: Had to take a picture of that, he enthused. He also noted thatSuper Why made an appearance duringhis inaugural events.

Pence saidhe saw inhis statethe huge role public broadcasting played in early childhood education as well: Frankly, when we were going line by line through our budget proposal, when came to deciding whether to include funding for public television in our budget, I want to tell you, it was an easy call. Public television, he continued, plays a vital role in educating all of the public, but most especially our children.

When RonaldReagan left office, Pence said, he talked about how the nation had a good feeling, but it wouldnt count for much, it last very long if it wasnt grounded in thoughtfulness and in knowledge. He called on the American people then to embrace again informed patriotism. Pence again cited Burns as emblematic of the kind of civic education he said public broadcasting was uniquely situated to provide: You more than anywhere else seem to be the place that most authentically tells the American story to the American people.

Some conservatives have dreamed for years of the government getting out of theBig Bird business and forcing public broadcasting to find other sources of funding. At NPR, CPB funding accounts for about 1 percent of the annualoperating budget. But as Ben Mullin reports at Poynter, it comprises about 9 percent of revenue for public radio stations across America, and dues from member stations provided about 39 percent of NPRs revenue from 2014 to 2016.

A2012 study by Booz & Companydone at Congress request found that there is simply no substitute for the federal investment to accomplish the public service mission that Congress has assigned to public broadcasters and that the American people overwhelmingly support. In a statement, PBS says the cost of public broadcasting is small, only $1.35 per citizen per year, and the benefits are tangible: increasing school readiness for kids 2-8, support for teachers and homeschoolers, lifelong learning, public safety communications and civil discourse. And, of course, Downton.

This story is brought to you by the letters S, H, A, R, and E.

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Mike Pence Loves Public Broadcasting - Washingtonian.com

New York Times

'I Am an American Because of Him': The Journey of Pence's Irish ... New York Times It is difficult not to view the experience of Richard Michael Cawley, who came to the United States nearly a century ago, through the prism of current events. America is about diversity, George Mitchell warns Mike Pence | Irish ...Irish Examiner Irish Reception underway at the White House: VP Mike Pence opens with a storyYC A comment by US Vice President Mike Pence about Irish people on Twitter did not go down wellJOE Irish Mirror all 9 news articles »

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'I Am an American Because of Him': The Journey of Pence's Irish ... - New York Times

Vice President Mike Pence speaks Saturday at the Trane Parts and Distribution Center in Louisville, Ky. Pence said that the so-called Obamacare law had failed the nation and the Trump administration would need the backing of rank-and-file Republicans to pass their health care overhaul.(Photo: AP)

After the administration of former Gov. Mike Pence, who is now vice president, fought the release of a political white paper for two years, the contents of the document were released by officials from another state.

The six-page document discusses legal precedents that could be used to challenge former President Barack Obama's 2014 decision to defer enforcement of certain immigration laws.

"The focus of theproposed litigation is not immigration," said the document, written by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who was then attorney general. "Rather, it is the scope of executive authority."

The letter was an appeal to governors of other states to join inState of Texas, et al v. United States, a lawsuit filed after Obama announced he was taking new steps to "fix Americas broken immigration system."

Many Republicans objected to the administration's decision to deferenforcement of immigration laws for parents of children born in the United States, and for children who entered the United States before they were 16 years old.

Pence, whocalled the policy a "profound mistake,"hired Indianapolis law firm Barnes & Thornburg to join the lawsuit, with the blessing of then Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller.

In December 2014, Indianapolis labor attorney William Grothrequested information regarding Pence's decision to hire outside counseland the cost to Indiana taxpayers. The Pence administration produced the documents in the request but those documents included substantial redaction, according to court documents.

The 57-page response also included an email that Daniel Hodge, Abbott's chief of staff, sent to 30 recipients in various states asking them to join the lawsuit against Obama. That message included the attached white paper,which Pence refused to produce.

Wednesday, the white paper obtained from another state wasreleasedby a website called Rewire, dedicated to women's reproductive rights. Just hours later, attorneys representing the governor's office sent Groth's attorney, Greg Bowes, a copy of the white paper and filed a motion "Regarding Change in Circumstances," in an attempt to moot the case.

"Because the document is now in the public domain for the first time, it is now subject to disclosure under APRA," wrote attorney Joseph Chapelle to Bowes. Chapelle originally represented Pence, but under rules of civil procedure now works on behalf of current Indiana governor Eric Holcomb.

The white paper focuses on how"the unchecked expansion of executive authority wielded by President Obama threatens the constitutional balance of power."

Ironically, the Groth v. Pence case also touches on a question of executive authority.After Groth filed suit in Marion CountySuperior Court, a judgeruled in favor of Pence, saying the redactions the administration made to thepublic record were "proper."

The ruling left open thepossibility that the executive branch could claim that its redactions were nonjusticiable, a legal term that means not for the court to decide. That finding was based on an earlier Supreme Court rulinginCitizens Action Coalition, et al. v. Indiana House Rep.about redactions made by the legislature.

Groth appealed thedecision in April. This January, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled thatGrothdoes not have the right to view the political white paper, but disagreed withthe governor's contention thatit would violate the separation of powers doctrine for the judiciary tosecond guessthe redactions.

Pence's legal team argues to keep email secret

Mike Pence prevails in email secrecy suit

That was an important finding to advocates of government transparency, who feared a Pence victory in the suit could set a broader precedent that would embolden future governors to refuse to disclose or heavily redact public documents with no court oversight.

Earlier this year, Grothpetitioned theIndiana Supreme Court to take up the case, then attempted to remand the case back to the trial court in light of anIndyStar investigationrevealing that Pence used a private email account to conduct government business and was hacked.

Bowessaid the revelation of the white paper may affect how the court proceeds, "but this does not moot our case," he said.

"The revelation just supports ourargument that we made to the Supreme Court that Texas was obviously seeking other states to join the lawsuit," Bowes said."We feel an obligation for the case to continue."

Call IndyStar reporter Fatima Hussein at (317) 444-6209. Follow her on Twitter:@fatimathefatima.

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Pence document shows Republican strategy for fighting Obama immigration plan - Indianapolis Star