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The news organization has taken heat for blaming Roy Cohn's AIDS-related death on his "decadent homosexual lifestyle."
Politico has been receiving criticism for an article that blamed Roy Cohn's AIDS-related death on his "decadent homosexual lifestyle he denied to the end," reports The Wrap.
Cohn -- a lawyer, former adviser to Donald Trump, and a Republican fixer -- died of an AIDS-related illness in 1986. He was closeted at the time of his death.
The problematic language, written by senior staff Politico writer Michael Kruse, was edited several hours after its publication.
"An earlier version of this story contained language about Roy Cohn that was deemed insensitive and has been removed," reads an editor's note posted after the change.
The article was the subject of backlash on social media. Many took to Twitter to accuse the passage of being homophobic and AIDS-phobic.
"I don't understand how @politico had enough gull to publish this very homophobic/HIV stigmatizing piece," wrote activist Arkee on Twitter. "It's gross. This is not controversial; it's harmful. Plain and simple."
\u201cwtf @politico https://t.co/gsXhYhM8PK\u201d— JF (@JF) 1534776084
\u201c@twinkpiece @politico i want to be upset about the blatant homophobia but i can't get over how that entire paragraph is one fucking sentence\u201d— JF (@JF) 1534776084
