September 29, 2017

Action Alert:
Tell The Hill to Stop Publishing John Lott


Update: The Hill published its last op-ed by John Lott on July 23, 2018. Thanks to everyone who took action in this campaign!


The popular Washington, D.C. newspaper The Hill continues to publish op-eds by John Lott, a conspiracy theorist and discredited pro-gun economist who actively promotes the agenda of the NRA.

After an assassin attempted to bomb declared enemies of Donald Trump in Oct. 2018, John Lott promoted a conspiracy theory that the attacks were a hoax created by Democrats.

Lott is infamous for impersonating a female college student, “Mary Rosh,” to write a glowing review of his book “More Guns, Less Crime” on Amazon. The central thesis of the book, that America would be safer if it had even more guns, has been debunked by academics and the National  Research Council.

Lott was kicked out of academia years ago for fabricating surveys, making fraudulent claims about where he has been published, and promoting studies that have significant errors. He now runs the “Crime Prevention Research Center.” The leadership of the organization includes Ted Nugent, radical former sheriff David Clarke, and multiple climate deniers.

Please email the editorial department at The Hill at editor@thehill.com and give them the following message:

I am disgusted that you are continuing to publish op-eds by discredited pro-gun economist John Lott. He was kicked out of academia long ago for fabricating surveys, impersonating others to praise his work, and making false claims about where he has been published. His central thesis, that more guns will lead to less crime, has been debunked repeatedly by academics and even the National Research Council. Lott’s organization, the “Crime Prevention Research Center,” has among its leadership racist/anti-Semite/misogynistTed Nugent, radical former sheriff David Clarke, and multiple climate deniers. Following the attempted bombing of Barack Obama, the Clintons, Maxine Waters and other declared enemies of Donald Trump in October 2018, Lott took to Twitter to promote a conspiracy theory that the attacks were a hoax perpetrated by Democrats. You do not owe this man a platform and you have a responsibility to journalistic integrity. Stop publishing Lott and remove him from your website immediately! Otherwise, I will make it my life’s mission to inform Beltway readers about how you have stooped to his level.

Once you have contacted the editorial department at The Hill, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!


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