In a statement sent to TPM, Newsmax spokeswoman Paula Pradines said that John L. Perry — the columnist who claimed a military coup to “resolve the Obama problem” was increasingly possible — is just an “unpaid blogger” for the magazine.
“He has no official relationship with Newsmax other than as an unpaid blogger,” she said.
On his Newsmax bio page, Perry is described as someone who “contributes a regular column to Newsmax.com.” On the site’s “Blogs” page, he’s listed alongside other contributors including Ben Stein, Grover Norquist and Christopher Ruddy, the owner and editor-in-chief on Newsmax.
He has also written a column nearly every week since late 1999.
Pradines said Newsmax pulled the column after several reader complaints “to insure that this article was not misinterpreted.”
“Newsmax strongly believes in the principles of Constitutional government,” she added, “and would never advocate or insinuate any suggestion of an activity that would undermine our democracy or democratic institutions.”
Besides, Perry “clearly stated that he was not advocating such a scenario but simply describing one,” she wrote.
