Jeff Poor (right0 and Bryan Dawson on 1819 podcast
The editor of 1819 News, like his boss (CEO and Publisher Kenneth Bryan Dawson), has a criminal record. Neither man divulged his criminal history during the news site's coverage of Smiths Station, Alabama, Mayor Fred "Bubba Copeland and his cross-dressing lifestyle. The news site's reporting, which led to Copeland's suicide eight days ago (11/3/23), included hints that Copeland had engaged in unlawful behavior, even though evidence of such misconduct was slim to none.
The hints were particularly heavy during a podcast, posted to X (Twitter) on Thursday (11/9/23), in which Dawson and Editor Jeff Poor discussed the editorial process behind the Copeland series of stories and defended their decision to run the stories. During the podcast, neither Dawson nor Poor divulged his own criminal past, while strongly hinting that Copeland had engaged in impropriety.
Donald Watkins, longtime Alabama attorney and now a major presence in online investigative journalism, says 1819 News' reporting was "highly questionable," and the efforts of Dawson and Poor to defend it were "weak."
Watkins recently reported on Dawson's staggering criminal record, which includes convictions in Colorado for drug dealing, theft, and violent offenses. In 2007 alone, Dawson was charged with 14 counts of Victim Retaliation, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Violent Crime that Caused Death, Aggravated Robbery with a Weapon, Burglary, Extortion, and Felony Menacing.
At one point, Dawson faced 384 years behind bars, but he was released after serving only 16 years. After his release, Dawson moved to Alabama, where the right-wing religious and political communities, which help underwrite 1819 News, appeared to forget and forgive everything when Dawson raised $6 million for Donald Trump and other GOP candidates in 2020.
As for Poor's rap sheet, it isn't nearly as substantial as Dawson's, but it is real -- and it isn't pretty. Under the headline "Jeff Poor: The 1819 News Editor Who “Outed” Bubba Copeland While Concealing His Own Criminal History," Watkins writes:
His real name is Robert Jeffery Poor. He is the editor-in-chief of 1819 News. In Alabama, he is known as Jeff Poor.
On November 1, 2023, Jeff Poor and 1819 News president, CEO, and publisher Kenneth Bryan Dawson signed off on publishing a highly controversial article by reporter Michael Craig Monger that “outed” Smiths Station, Alabama, mayor, businessman, and pastor Fred “Bubba” Copeland’s cross-dressing behavior and works of erotic fiction.
The article was a news media “hit job” that caused Bubba Copeland to commit suicide. As a result, Copeland became the latest victim of "homicide journalism" in America.
Details about Poor's brush with the law can be found in a case styled State of Indiana v. Robert Poor. Writes Watkins:
[The Copeland story] was not the first time Jeff Poor has endangered the life of another human being. On June 4, 2017, Poor entered the realm of criminal endangerment in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The case against him was State of Indiana v. Robert Poor, Case No. 49-G12-1706-CM-020744, Marion Superior Court, Criminal Division 12. [The docket sheet in Jeff Poor’s criminal case may be viewed by clicking here.]
On June 4, 2017, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers arrested a very drunk Jeff Poor for “Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person.” Poor spent a night in jail before he was released on a cash bond.
Thankfully, no man, woman, or child was injured or killed during Jeff Poor’s drunken road excursion in Indianapolis.
On November 9, 2017, Jeff Poor pleaded guilty to the charge. He paid a $725 fine and was sentenced to 365 days in jail. Poor was given credit for the one day he spent in jail. Poor was placed on probation for 363 days and his sentence was suspended for 363 days. Poor’s driver’s license was also suspended for 90 days.
Jeff Poor was required to enter and complete an alcohol and drug treatment program and he was subject to random drug and alcohol testing.
Jeff Poor joined 1819 News in August 2022. He was promoted to editor-in-chief of 1819 News in June 2023.
What about Poor's background in journalism? Watkins writes:
Prior to joining 1819 News, Poor worked as a reporter for Alabama-based Yellowhammer News from December 2017 to February 2022.
Jeff Poor is also a former contributor to Breitbart News.
Does the public have an interest in knowing the criminal histories of Jeff Poor and Bryan Dawson? In Watkins' view, the answer is yes:
At no time during 1819 News' reporting on Bubba Copeland did this ultra-conservative "law and order" news organization disclose the extensive criminal history of Kenneth Bryan Dawson or the drunk driving/endangerment criminal charge against Jeff Poor.
Even when Dawson and Poor appeared on Dawson's podcast show last week to defend their decision to "out" Bubba Copeland, the two men failed to disclose their own sordid criminal histories. However, this did not stop a self-righteous Bryan Dawson and sanctimonious Jeff Poor from hinting (without offering any evidence) that some aspects of Bubba Copeland's cross-dressing activities and works of erotic fiction might have been criminal in nature.
The Lee County, Alabama, Sheriff's office announced last week that it had examined Copeland's electronic devices and found no evidence of any criminal activity.
In Alabama, Kenneth Bryan Dawson and Robert Jeffrey Poor use a variation of their names that omits their first name. This name obfuscation makes the discovery of their criminal histories in other states difficult for members of the general public to find.
In contrast to Bryan Dawson and Jeff Poor, the publicly available evidence thus far establishes that Fred “Bubba” Copeland lived a life that was free of crime. What is more, Copeland has no reported criminal record, anywhere.
The only hint of criminal activity related to Bubba Copeland comes from the mouths of two men with documented criminal histories. While Bryan Dawson has occasionally discussed his extensive criminal history in public settings, Jeff Poor has not.
Where is this story headed next? Watkins provides a preview:
Coming soon -- Who are the big money donors propping up Bryan Dawson, Jeff Poor, and 1819 News, and why?