More Conflict of Interest at Sinclair

Sinclair’s WBFF (Baltimore) has done several stories that have been critical of the Baltimore school system. The investigative reporting by the station has focused on “ghost students” — kids who were counted as being enrolled for state funding purposes when they were not.

The Sinclair station has won awards for its reporting on the subject.

But here’s where it gets dicey.

Jovani Patterson is the sole plaintiff in a lawsuit accusing Baltimore City Public Schools of defrauding taxpayers.

Patterson has made numerous appearances on WBFF, discussing the lawsuit and other issues.

Patterson said during his deposition that he was not paying his own legal fees and that an “entity” was. Pressed for details, Patterson’s attorney, Sinclair Broadcast Group Executive Chairman David Smith, represented the “entity” in question.

In all the stories Sinclair’s flagship station has done on the Baltimore schools, they never disclosed Smith’s role.

Sinclair spokeswoman Jessica Bellucci wrote in an email to The Baltimore Banner that WBFF reporters and staff did not know of Smith’s involvement in the lawsuit, and that Smith had not been involved in any of the reporting or editorial decisions concerning the station’s coverage of it.

“For the interest of transparency, WBFF will ensure any coverage, past and future, of this lawsuit contains an appropriate disclosure,” Bellucci wrote.

I’m sorry, but this one sure doesn’t pass the smell test.