The Washington Post is facing criticism for quoting experts who cast doubt on a bullet wound sustained by Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy in Afghanistan, without disclosing their ties to the Democratic Party. Sheehy initially claimed the wound was from a fall in Montana, but later revealed it was suffered in Afghanistan. The experts in question had donated thousands to Democratic campaigns and had made public comments critical of former President Trump.
One of the experts, Joseph V. Sakran, a trauma surgeon and Democratic donor, questioned the nature of Sheehy’s wound based on an X-ray provided by Sheehy. Sakran has a history of donating to Democrat campaigns and has made public comments against Trump. Another expert, Rachel VanLandingham, raised doubts about Sheehy’s hesitancy to report the incident and has donated to ActBlue and Hillary for America, while also making negative remarks about Trump.
Despite claiming to be neutral, VanLandingham has been critical of Trump and his supporters in the past. She painted Sheehy as a “deeply flawed hero” in a post on social media after contributing to the Washington Post report. The third expert, Katherine Kuzminski, stated it was unlikely a civilian hospital would report a years-old bullet wound to the Navy. Kuzminski has been critical of Republicans and defended the military’s focus on diversity.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton denounced the Washington Post article as a politically motivated smear designed to undermine Sheehy’s candidacy. Sheehy, who has been endorsed by former President Trump, is facing off against Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in the upcoming election. The experts quoted by the Post failed to disclose their ties to the Democratic Party, raising questions about the motives behind their comments on Sheehy’s injury.
The Washington Post, as well as Sakran, VanLandingham, Kuzminski, Tester’s campaign, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Navy, did not respond to requests for comment on the matter. Sheehy’s campaign spokesperson criticized the Post for relying on known Democrats to cast doubt on Sheehy’s story, highlighting their previous involvement in the Russian hoax and support for President Biden. Despite the backlash, Sheehy remains determined to defeat Tester and join forces with Trump to “drain the swamp for good” in Washington.
