Fox News host Jesse Watters recently interviewed a Georgia resident who confronted Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz at a press conference following the murder of nursing student Laken Riley allegedly by an illegal immigrant.
‘James lee’ was brought on to discuss the “migrant crime spree.” But in an ironic twist, ‘James Lee’ turned out to be a criminal himself who isn’t using this real name.
According to liberal watchdog Media Matters, “James Lee’s” actual name is James DePaola, and he was arrested and charged in 2016 when his 12-year-old daughter called police after witnessing him violently threatening his wife for putting three slices of cheese instead of two in his grilled cheese sandwich.
DePaola reportedly ripped the landline out of the wall so his wife couldn’t call the police and “screamed at her intensely” for adding the extra slice of cheese, WSB-TV reported.
DePaola was charged with obstruction of a 911 call and criminal trespass/damage to property after the incident. He also has a history of “abusive behavior” and had been served with a restraining order in the past, the outlet noted.
Fox News hid his real identify from viewers during Watters’ show, identifying him as ‘James Lee’ despite local outlets, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, identifying him as ‘James DePaola’ in their coverage of the press conference where he confronted the mayor.
In a statement to The Daily Beast a Fox News spokesperson claims they didn’t use DePaola’s real name and kept viewers in the dark about his past because he didn’t disclose it.
“The guest identified himself as James Lee to Fox News and other news outlets following the press conference,” the spokesperson said. “A search of James Lee from Athens did not turn up any connection or link to James DePaola.”
