Pillen Chastised For Comment About Reporter's Heritage

Advocates and Nebraska lawmakers are defending a reporter after Gov. Jim Pillen said her story about environmental concerns at his farms wasn’t worth discussing because the reporter was from “communist China.” The Asian American Journalists Association, the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and some state lawmakers have condemned Pillen and demanded that he apologize to Flatwater Free Press reporter Yanqi Xu. The case received a flood of publicity this week when the newspaper’s executive director wrote a scathing column. Pillen’s staff has not responded to emails or phone messages seeking comment.