Alabama Newspaper Editor Who Endorsed KKK Replaced As Owner

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES: Goodloe Sutton (R), a newspaper editor from Alabama, presents the International Press Freedom Award in recognition of Agence France-Presse Eritrean correspondent Ruth Simon (L, photo on scre... NEW YORK, UNITED STATES: Goodloe Sutton (R), a newspaper editor from Alabama, presents the International Press Freedom Award in recognition of Agence France-Presse Eritrean correspondent Ruth Simon (L, photo on screen) 24 November during a ceremony sponsored by the "Committee To Protect Journalists" in New York. Simon, unable to attend, has been held in detention since 25 April 1997 for reporting that Eritrean troops were fighting alongside rebel forces in neighboring Sudan. Gremah Boucar of Niger, Gustavo Gorriti, a Peruvian currently living in Panama, Goenawan Mohamad of Indonesia and Pavel Sheremet of Belarus were also recipients. AFP PHOTO Stan HONDA (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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The infamous smalltime Alabama newspaper owner known for his endorsement of the Ku Klux Klan’s terrorism has left the ink industry.

“He doesn’t even have a key anymore,” Tommy Wells, the new owner of the The Democrat-Reporter newspaper in Linden, Alabama told the Associated Press Thursday, referring to the now-retired former editor and owner Goodloe Sutton.

In February, Sutton’s editorial calling for “the Ku Klux Klan to night ride again” made national headlines.

Referring to “Democrats” and “the industrial northeast,” Sutton wrote: “Seems like the Klan would be welcome to raid the gated communities up there.” Defending the op-ed after a wave of outcry, Sutton told the Montgomery Adviser that the terrorist group “didn’t kill but a few people” and “wasn’t violent until they needed to be.”

Soon after, Sutton (pictured above in 1998) handed over control of the paper to Elecia Dexter, a black woman who resigned after a few weeks, citing Sutton’s interference. A couple days after that, Sutton announced he would sell the paper.

The AP reported Thursday that Wells, who it described as “a sports publicist at a small college in Texas,” and his wife published their first edition of the newspaper last month.

“It’s mine now. I have a bill of sale and everything,” Wells said.

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Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for caltg caltg says:

    Can we do the same thing with all the other so-called “news” outlets owned and run by right-wing nut jobs?

  2. Sutton told the Montgomery Adviser that the terrorist group “didn’t kill but a few people” and “wasn’t violent until they needed to be.

    #thistimeline

  3. Avatar for caltg caltg says:

    Only the best.

  4. Oh noes who will endorse Roy and Sassy this time around?

  5. Sale is a bit of a moot point. The KKK racist was keeping the paper afloat with family money as I remember, so it will be a hard slog for the new owners to dig out from that. Assuming they are any better.

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