Yesterday, Jared Holt of Right Wing Watch broke a story on Michael Moates, a conservative reporter who sent sexual messages to underage, teenage girls. “Maybe if I get you drinking I can get that date,” Moates texted to one of his underage victims, who later released screenshots of Moates messages. Prior to being exposed as a sexual deviant, Mr. Moates had come to public attention through posting a Twitter thread that included the handles of what Moates believed to be “pro-pedophile” accounts. The thread was meant to defend serial rapist, Mike Cernovich, who is apparently an inspiration to Moates and regularly retweets him. In the thread, Moates let it be known that he, “stands with Cernovich.” Given Moates actions, it is clear he has adopted Cernovich’s “no means yes” mentality when it comes to young girls.

Although Moates sexual advances were universally rebutted, that didn’t stop him from his deviant pursuits. In May 2018, Moates texted a 16-year old girl, inquiring about her sexual experiences and virginity. The young woman in question, Hadassah Cohen, told Right Wing Watch Moates insisted that she, “couldn’t possibly be telling the truth that I was a proud virgin, that I had indeed never kissed a boy, because I was too gorgeous for that.” Cohen proceeded to post screenshots of the text exchanges, as noted by Right Wing Watch.  Moates then proceeded to ask Cohen’s co-workers if she would date him and called Cohen late at night. Moates has claimed his sexual interactions with underaged women are all protected by the first amendment.

During Moates reign of terror, he also harassed Kassy Dillon, an employee of Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire. On April 18, 2018, Dillon quote tweeted Moates saying, “you took a picture of my butt and posted it on Twitter and still haven’t apologized. You can keep your compliment.” Moates’s tweet tagged neo-nazi fanatic Nick Fuentes, and let Fuentes know that Moates had, “found your friend.” Given the angle of the picture, it seems that Moates was laying on the ground and took the photo without Dillon’s knowledge.

Despite Dillon’s frustration, Shapiro refused to help. Instead, he turned a blind eye and decided not to intervene. When Right Wing Watch requested a comment on the Daily Wire’s inaction, they responded with jargon. “Pursuing the story because originating an investigation into claims of this sensitive and incendiary a nature requires an investigatory and legal infrastructure that is beyond our current construction.” In lay terms, Shapiro and company aren’t concerned with a sexual deviant aggressively harassing one of their employees and claim they don’t have the “resources” to pursue such a case. These claims are hard to believe as The Daily Wire employs 55 people, considered buying Glenn Beck’s The Blaze just a few months ago, generates likely millions in revenue and is funded by billionaires.

Shapiro’s inaction shouldn’t come as a shock. Over the last month, Shapiro and the Daily Wire have widely advocated for Brett Kavanaugh, the newly elected supreme court justice who was accused of sexual assault. Shapiro used the Kavanaugh opportunity to build his anti-feminism narrative and attempt to discredit the Me Too movement. “This has always been the key question the #MeToo movement has adamantly refused to answer: What should the standard of proof, or even the standard of believability, be? Should the standard be criminal liability? Presumably not, since most accusers are emerging to speak long after alleged incidents.”

In the case of Moates, there is proof of his harassment. And these allegations did not take years to come out, it happened in real time on Twitter. Regardless, Shapiro still has decided to do nothing. Whether it’s a supreme court justice or one of Shapiro’s own employees, he will always take the side of the man, guilty or innocent. That much is clear.

Bernard Media is currently investigating this case further and will provide updates as required.

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