Radio station owned by Jim Schwartzel misidentifies CD 19 opponent Ola Hawatmeh as an immigrant

Congressional candidate Ola Hawatmeh was born in the U.S. But a radio station owned by one of her political opponents called her an immigrant in a social media post left up for weeks.

“Hawatmeh, a Christian immigrant from Jordan, pointed to her upbringing in the Middle East as shaping her views,” reads a post on 92.5 Fox News’ Facebook page. “She stated that certain interpretations of Sharia law conflict with constitutional protections such as individual rights and equal treatment under U.S. law.”

But Hawatmeh was born at St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, New York, as verified in a copy of her birth certificate with her maiden name, Ola Nesheiwat, obtained by Florida Politics. That makes her a natural-born American citizen.

Her campaign website says as much, describing that she was “born in the United States to Christian immigrants from Jordan, who pursued the American Dream through grit and opportunity.”

While the post makes reference to Sharia law, Hawatmeh was raised by Greek Orthodox parents, who notably came into the U.S. legally.

“There needs to be an apology made not to me, but to the listeners; they deserve better,” Hawatmeh said.

That Fox News station is a local outlet owned by Sun Broadcasting, a media company owned by Jim Schwartzel. He is one of several Republican candidates, along with Hawatmeh, running in a Republican Primary in Florida’s 19th Congressional District. That’s an open seat this year, as U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds runs for Governor instead of seeking another House term.

But Schwartzel’s role as a media magnate frequently has drawn criticism of unfair reporting on local outlets, including the Fox News radio station, Univision and the local affiliate for the CW network.

When Florida Politics notified the Fox News radio station about the error in its Facebook post about Hawatmeh, the post was quickly amended and a correction was added to it. “Hawatmeh is a first generation Floridian whose parents immigrated to the United States from Jordan,” the post now reads. A screenshot of the original post appears below.

“Thanks for bringing this to our attention. This was made in error, and we are issuing a correction on that post,” wrote Jeff Wolf, the station’s program director, in an email to Florida Politics.

Schwartzel’s campaign also provided a statement to Florida Politics saying swift action was taken to address the inaccuracy.

“I’ve been made aware of a social media post from 92.5 Fox News Radio that was made in error. When it was brought to my attention, I made sure it was taken down and that a correction will be issued. I apologize for any confusion it caused,” he said.

“I take accuracy seriously, regardless of the issue, campaign, or candidate involved. That standard applies across the board.”

Hawatmeh’s campaign said it was “deeply disappointed” by the inaccurate statement on the Facebook page.

“In an era when voters are seeking truth and integrity from their media and leaders, spreading misinformation undermines the very trust that conservative radio has worked so hard to earn,” an email from the campaign reads. “Our shared commitment to America First principles demands that we uphold the highest standards of honesty, especially when speaking to the dedicated listeners of Southwest Florida.”