David Maraniss, associate editor at The Washington Post – whose newspaper coverage of Bill Clinton won him the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting – has spoken for many in The mailnewsroom on Jeff Bezos’ decision to end an endorsement of Kamala Harris for president.

Maraniss, who also served as The mailBarack Obama’s chief reporter during Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign issued an outraged statement to the Daily Beast after Bezos’ decision was confirmed by Will Lewis, the newspaper’s powerless CEO.

Two sources told The Post reporters that Bezos had personally rejected an endorsement of Kamala Harris prepared by the paper’s editorial page staff.

Maraniss said: “I find this despicable. Marty Baron is right. This is not an act of benevolent neutrality, but of cowardice in the face of the greatest challenge to democracy in our post-World War II lives.

“Ben Bradlee, ten years dead, is buried heavily in his grave.”

His statement echoes one made earlier today by Baron, the editor-in-chief of The mail from 2012 to 2021, posted on X: “This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a victim. Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to intimidate further The mail‘s owner, Jeff Bezos (and other media owners). History will mark a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an institution famous for its courage.”

Another important editor, Marcus Brauchli – who preceded Baron as from 2008 to 2012 The mail‘s editor-in-chief, and edited The Wall Street Journal before that – issued his own scathing criticism of Bezos’ decision in a statement to the Beast: “There are perfectly good reasons a newspaper could give for not supporting a presidential candidate.

“The mail offered none, and the timing was terrible and the appearance, whatever the reasoning, cowardly or cowardly. It also hasn’t explained whether it plans to continue supporting state and local races, where its position is hugely important to local readers.

Don Graham, the former publisher of The mailwho sold the paper to Bezos declined to comment.