(Joshua Paladino, Headline USA) A Florida weatherman who filmed a kitten stranded on a bench as water levels rose around it donated to Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in the 2020 presidential election cycle, according to records from the Federal Election Commission.
WINK-TV meteorologist Dylan Federico donated four times to the socialist Vermont senator’s campaign while working at WTVM in Columbus, Ga.
The donations via the aggregator site ActBlue all indicated that they were “Earmarked for Bernie 2020,” a political-action committee operating on Sanders’s behalf.
It is unclear if the station had any prescribed ethical guidelines against members of its newsroom making political donations, as many do.
However, Federico’s ethical acumen has been under attack from online critics following his decision to remain an objective bystander in his latest story.
On Wednesday, he went viral for a since-deleted tweet, in which he was accused of abandoning a kitten in the torrential downpour of Hurricane Ian, the Gateway Pundit reported.
this man’s career was just ruined with one cat tweet
— Derek Dohrman (@DerekDohrman) September 28, 2022
“Storm surge is rising rapidly outside WINK News,” Federico wrote. “A kitten is on the bench trying to escape the water. The doors are locked but we’re trying to get the kitten inside.”
As floods from Hurricane Ian rose to sweep away the kitten, Federico remained inside, apparently unable to find a key to open a door and bring the kitten inside.
“Right after the video was posted we attempted to get to the cat but it swam in a different direction out of view,” he posted on Twitter. “I waited to post an update in hopes we could grab it. Please take your companions with you when you evacuate.”
Right after the video was posted we attempted to get to the cat but it swam in a different direction out of view. I waited to post an update in hopes we could grab it. Please take your companions with you when you evacuate.
— Dylan Federico (@DylanFedericoWX) September 28, 2022
Twitter users did not accept the excuse. They argued that he should have immediately gone to retrieve the kitten rather than waiting to film a video first.
A photo taken after the kitten swam away shows that Federico did not make an effort to wade through the waist-high water for the kitten.
Others did not believe that the water rose a few feet in the seconds before Federico could have gone outside to try to save the kitten’s life.
what makes this so weird the water is barely half a foot like why didnt they just go out there and get the cat smh
— jacob (@jacobgws) September 28, 2022
A fellow weatherman defended Federico.
Every door is locked with metal flood gates on the outside. Dylan kept an eye on the cat while they made every attempt to get to it even with those gates in place but this entire thing happened in a matter of minutes.
Dylan loves animals. No one’s hurt about this more than him.
— Brant Beckman (@BrantBeckmanwx) September 28, 2022
Some users posted videos of animals being saved during the storm.
This is what real men do Dylan. https://t.co/PUrP67Yw6T
— jenn (@magnific3ntfury) September 28, 2022
This guy managed is save a dog AND a cat… @DylanFedericoWX you are a coward https://t.co/oLqMCpRb8X
— KingCharlesIII #4 superfan (@Mtn20new) September 28, 2022
