Reporter Adrian Wojnarowski has been suspended by ESPN for responding with "F**k you" in an email to US Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) about China and the NBA.
Sen. Hawley, a lawyer and junior US Senator for Missouri, took to Twitter over the incident, criticizing Wojnarowski for his outburst.
He wrote: "Don’t criticize #China or express support for law enforcement to @espn. It makes them real mad ?@Outkick."
Don’t criticize #China or express support for law enforcement to @espn. It makes them real mad ?@Outkick? pic.twitter.com/WJDxrotUBD
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 10, 2020
"This is completely unacceptable behavior and we do not condone it," responded ESPN in a statement. "It is inexcusable for anyone working for ESPN to respond in the way Adrian did to Senator Hawley. We are addressing it directly with Adrian and specifics of those conversations will remain internal."
Wojnarowski issued a statement about his conduct to apologize.
"I was disrespectful and I made a regrettable mistake," Wojnarowski said. "I'm sorry for the way I handled myself and I am reaching out immediately to Senator Hawley to apologize directly. I also need to apologize to my ESPN colleagues because I know my actions were unacceptable and should not reflect on any of them."
The Senator announced on his website on Friday that he was sending a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to condemn the sports league's refusal to support the US military and law enforcement.
The letter takes issue with the league's "apparent decision to strictly limit messages players can wear on their jerseys to a few pre-approved, social justice slogans while censoring support for law enforcement officers or the military and any criticism of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)."
"Senator Hawley writes that, as the NBA is now sanctioning political messages, they must stand up for American values and make clear where they stand on China’s human rights abuses."
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