Watch: Ezra Levant Expose the $4.5 Million Investment of Omidyar to Rappler (Media Freedom Conference Transcript)
Veteran international journalist Ezra Levant of The Rebel helps exposed the controversial $4.5 million investment of Omidyar Network to Rappler during an interview with Maria Ressa in the Media Freedom Conference event.
The said event was reportedly funded by billionaire tycoon Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay, one of the world's leading internet company.
During the said defend Media Freedom Conference in London, United Kingdom, veteran journalist Ezra Levant challenged panelists Nishant Lalwani (Director of Investments, Independent Media or a company that is part of the Omidyar Group) and Maria Ressa (CEO of Rappler.com).
Ezra Levant questioned how unbiased this conference can be, given that the man behind it is billionaire media tycoon Pierre Omidyar, and they are on his payroll
According to Levant, Maria Ressa got in trouble in the Philippines is because of the fact that she was foreign owned, and the SEC in the Philippines said they cannot do that. This is the question that Levant asked to Nishant Lalwani.
Watch How Ezra Levant Burns Maria Ressa:
Nishant Lalwani was accused by Levant that he was in the payroll of media giant Rupert Murdoch but Lalwani denied. The only things that Lalwani admitted was the fact that they gave money to Rappler. Maria Ressa then interrupted Lalwani and Levant by responding to the question but she also admitted that Rappler received the $4.5 million in investments which is contrary to the rules and regulations of SEC.
Read the Complete Transcript of the Video:
Ezra Levant of Rebel Media: Ezra Levant from Canada. Mr. Lalwani, I enjoyed your anecdote about Rupert Murdoch and his octopus-like influence. But how do you square that with the fact that you work for Pierre Omidyar, a billionaire media tycoon who’s very partisan. He has stakes in The Intercept and The Bulwark and they’re great reads but, holy cow, is he ever biased.
And you’re interviewing companies that basically he owns. The reason she (HE MEANS MARIA RESSA HERE) got in trouble is because she was foreign owned, and the SEC in the Philippines said you can’t do that. So I want to know how you square being the front man for a left-wing Rupert Murdoch?
And frankly, how did you manage to direct a nonpartisan government with the UK and Canada. I mean, really, you’re just a mirror image of Rupert Murdoch. You seem like a nice guy but I wouldn’t trust a conference that Rupert Murdoch architected. Why should we trust anything run by your billionaire, tycoon, paymaster who I’m sure is a nice guy? But no one here is not on your payroll and I think you’ve shaped a lot of this commentary to support your boss’s desires. It’s weird to me.
Nishant Lalwani: Why don’t we deal with the facts? First of all, no one here is on his payroll.
Ezra Levant: We just heard that you were. We just heard that you were.
Nishant Lalwani: No, right, no. We just gave money to Rappler that she…
Maria Ressa: Nish, let me respond to this. I’ll take that one up because I’m gonna use you as a proxy for President Duterte. So number 1…
Ezra Levant: No, don’t do that. Don’t do that. I’m not a proxy for Duterte.
Maria Ressa: No, I’m just telling you because I think this kind of simplification is dangerous. It makes all of us vulnerable. Number one, the SEC, we’re not foreign owned. I started a startup. I took investors in it. They can all have ten million views and they come from rainbow colors. I don’t much care. I have parameters for these investors. Those parameters, if a shareholders agreement that makes us, actually me, the one in control. They invest, knowing that.
Ezra Levant: The SEC disagreed with you.
Maria Ressa: Actually, it does cause we’re still, we’re actually winning the court of appeals, is moving forward…
Ezra Levant: Omidyar gave up his stock.
Maria Ressa: Now, we… let me, let me finish! Because I certainly let you have the time, right? So let me…
Ezra Levant: I actually… My question was actually for Mr. Lalwani though.
Maria Ressa: After… Let’s take a look at how much… let’s take a full range of investments. There’s maybe about 4 ½ million dollars that went into Rappler. Only 4 ½…
Ezra Levant: Only eh? Only.
Maria Ressa: Only. And we’ve been able… That’s 7 years of, of actually being able to do hard-hitting investigative reporting. Of that, probably less than 5% goes to the ...
Ezra Levant: You’re defending your boss but can I hear from him instead?
Maria Ressa: He’s not my boss. I’ll give you to him.
Ezra Levant: You know he can give me 4 ½ million bucks and I’ll let him call me his boss.
Maria Ressa: You challenge something that is important to us…
Ezra Levant: I didn’t ask you a question, with all due respect…
Nishant Lalwani: Could you let please Maria respond?
Ezra Levant: Will you respond too?
Nishant Lalwani: I will respond.
Ezra Levant: Okay, I look forward to that.
Maria Ressa: So I’ll just lay it in the…
Ezra Levant: Sure we are.
Maria Ressa: less than 5% of the shares of Rappler which was fully Filipino owned. Every investment that was made through the big our auditors KPMG. We had that, the law firm that actually created the Philippine Depository Receipts.
You have to give me that because you can’t let a statement like that lie because that could be picked up and send you to jail.
That’s the difference between your world and mine. I’m very careful about my words and factoids
Source: Facebook / YouTube
The said event was reportedly funded by billionaire tycoon Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay, one of the world's leading internet company.
During the said defend Media Freedom Conference in London, United Kingdom, veteran journalist Ezra Levant challenged panelists Nishant Lalwani (Director of Investments, Independent Media or a company that is part of the Omidyar Group) and Maria Ressa (CEO of Rappler.com).
Ezra Levant questioned how unbiased this conference can be, given that the man behind it is billionaire media tycoon Pierre Omidyar, and they are on his payroll
According to Levant, Maria Ressa got in trouble in the Philippines is because of the fact that she was foreign owned, and the SEC in the Philippines said they cannot do that. This is the question that Levant asked to Nishant Lalwani.
Watch How Ezra Levant Burns Maria Ressa:
Nishant Lalwani was accused by Levant that he was in the payroll of media giant Rupert Murdoch but Lalwani denied. The only things that Lalwani admitted was the fact that they gave money to Rappler. Maria Ressa then interrupted Lalwani and Levant by responding to the question but she also admitted that Rappler received the $4.5 million in investments which is contrary to the rules and regulations of SEC.
Read the Complete Transcript of the Video:
Ezra Levant of Rebel Media: Ezra Levant from Canada. Mr. Lalwani, I enjoyed your anecdote about Rupert Murdoch and his octopus-like influence. But how do you square that with the fact that you work for Pierre Omidyar, a billionaire media tycoon who’s very partisan. He has stakes in The Intercept and The Bulwark and they’re great reads but, holy cow, is he ever biased.
And you’re interviewing companies that basically he owns. The reason she (HE MEANS MARIA RESSA HERE) got in trouble is because she was foreign owned, and the SEC in the Philippines said you can’t do that. So I want to know how you square being the front man for a left-wing Rupert Murdoch?
And frankly, how did you manage to direct a nonpartisan government with the UK and Canada. I mean, really, you’re just a mirror image of Rupert Murdoch. You seem like a nice guy but I wouldn’t trust a conference that Rupert Murdoch architected. Why should we trust anything run by your billionaire, tycoon, paymaster who I’m sure is a nice guy? But no one here is not on your payroll and I think you’ve shaped a lot of this commentary to support your boss’s desires. It’s weird to me.
Nishant Lalwani: Why don’t we deal with the facts? First of all, no one here is on his payroll.
Ezra Levant: We just heard that you were. We just heard that you were.
Nishant Lalwani: No, right, no. We just gave money to Rappler that she…
Maria Ressa: Nish, let me respond to this. I’ll take that one up because I’m gonna use you as a proxy for President Duterte. So number 1…
Ezra Levant: No, don’t do that. Don’t do that. I’m not a proxy for Duterte.
Maria Ressa: No, I’m just telling you because I think this kind of simplification is dangerous. It makes all of us vulnerable. Number one, the SEC, we’re not foreign owned. I started a startup. I took investors in it. They can all have ten million views and they come from rainbow colors. I don’t much care. I have parameters for these investors. Those parameters, if a shareholders agreement that makes us, actually me, the one in control. They invest, knowing that.
Ezra Levant: The SEC disagreed with you.
Maria Ressa: Actually, it does cause we’re still, we’re actually winning the court of appeals, is moving forward…
Ezra Levant: Omidyar gave up his stock.
Maria Ressa: Now, we… let me, let me finish! Because I certainly let you have the time, right? So let me…
Ezra Levant: I actually… My question was actually for Mr. Lalwani though.
Maria Ressa: After… Let’s take a look at how much… let’s take a full range of investments. There’s maybe about 4 ½ million dollars that went into Rappler. Only 4 ½…
Ezra Levant: Only eh? Only.
Maria Ressa: Only. And we’ve been able… That’s 7 years of, of actually being able to do hard-hitting investigative reporting. Of that, probably less than 5% goes to the ...
Ezra Levant: You’re defending your boss but can I hear from him instead?
Maria Ressa: He’s not my boss. I’ll give you to him.
Ezra Levant: You know he can give me 4 ½ million bucks and I’ll let him call me his boss.
Maria Ressa: You challenge something that is important to us…
Ezra Levant: I didn’t ask you a question, with all due respect…
Nishant Lalwani: Could you let please Maria respond?
Ezra Levant: Will you respond too?
Nishant Lalwani: I will respond.
Ezra Levant: Okay, I look forward to that.
Maria Ressa: So I’ll just lay it in the…
Ezra Levant: Sure we are.
Maria Ressa: less than 5% of the shares of Rappler which was fully Filipino owned. Every investment that was made through the big our auditors KPMG. We had that, the law firm that actually created the Philippine Depository Receipts.
You have to give me that because you can’t let a statement like that lie because that could be picked up and send you to jail.
That’s the difference between your world and mine. I’m very careful about my words and factoids
Source: Facebook / YouTube
Watch: Ezra Levant Expose the $4.5 Million Investment of Omidyar to Rappler (Media Freedom Conference Transcript)
Reviewed by Phil Newsome
on
July 13, 2019
Rating:
Reviewed by Phil Newsome
on
July 13, 2019
Rating:
