Did Barack Obama Try to Stop Execution of Death Row's Troy Davis?
Following The Redding News Review’s report about President Barack Obama trying to save the life of now executed Troy Davis, The White House has come out with a different story.
The Redding News Review stated that Obama attempted to intervene in the Troy Davis case before the alleged killer of a police officer was executed. According to the Review, Obama and his team spent three days attempting to find a way to save Davis’ life.
“We looked at every possible avenue legally, there was not one there,” Obama said, according to the News Review. “It was a state case and I could not intervene because it wasn’t federal.”
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The News Review wrote that Obama spoke about not wanting to make the Davis case a part of his campaign agenda.
“I don’t want to make this man’s death political for me,” the president reportedly said, according to The News Review.
According to The Redding News Review sources, Obama spoke about the Davis case in front of 10 black broadcasters at a private lunch meeting.
“Sure, the president could have simply spoken out about Davis, but it would not have done anything,” a source said, according to The Redding News Review.
However, White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer told Politico.com that the reports were false. April Ryan, a member of American Urban Radio Networks who was available at the private lunch with Obama, Tom Joyner, Michel Martin and Joe Madison denied the Review’s claims.
“That article was completely, 100 percent wrong,” Ryan said, according to Politico.com.
However, Rob Redding Jr., who created the post at The Redding News Review, stood by his claim.
"In your report, even April D. Ryan says that the death penalty was mentioned at the meeting. She is clearly not the source of our story,” Redding wrote. “We stand by the story, as posted on our websites."
