On the final full day of President Trump’s term in office, SAG-AFTRA’s National Board voted “overwhelmingly” to find probable cause of a violation of SAG-AFTRA’s Constitution and ordered a Disciplinary Committee hearing for which, if found guilty by the committee, Trump could face expulsion from the guild.
The charges, initiated by national executive director David White at the request of president Gabrielle Carteris, cite Trump’s role in inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and “in sustaining a reckless campaign of misinformation aimed at discrediting and ultimately threatening the safety of journalists, many of whom are SAG-AFTRA members,” according to the Guild.
The charges request expulsion from membership. Lesser penalties might include reprimand, censure, fines or suspension from the rights and privileges of membership.
“Donald Trump attacked the values that this union holds most sacred – democracy, truth, respect for our fellow Americans of all races and faiths, and the sanctity of the free press,” said Carteris. “There’s a straight line from his wanton disregard for the truth to the attacks on journalists perpetrated by his followers.”
Adding that the guild has a responsibility to protect its members, White said, “The unfortunate truth is, this individual’s words and actions over the past four years have presented actual harm to our broadcast journalist members. The board’s resolution addresses this effort to undermine freedom of the press and reaffirms the principles on which our democratic society rests, and which we must all work to protect and preserve.”
