Rebel News may not run background checks, but the government of New Zealand does.
Many know Avi Yemini as the outspoken Australian influencer that teamed up with PPC-aligned Canadian media outlet Rebel News.
However, many would be surprised to learn he has a criminal record for assaulting his ex-wife Sarah Lyford.
This wasn’t a minor assault, either. He was convicted of throwing a chopping board at his then-wife while she was preparing dinner for him. The board struck her in the head, injuring her.
Yemini was also accused of sending Lyford a series of abusive text messages. She claims Yemini dehumanized and “terrorized” her during their relationship.
In 2019, Yemini was found guilty of assault in a Melbourne courtroom and fined $3,600 as a punishment.
As a result of this conviction, he has been barred from entering the neighbouring country of New Zealand, as reported by several media outlets.
Naturally, Yemini responded by saying the prohibition was due to censorship. However, this is demonstrably untrue.
Yemini confirmed on social media he does have a criminal record. Immigration New Zealand denied rejecting Yemini for political reasons, instead stating that Avi Yemini “didn’t do the paperwork required of someone with a criminal conviction.”
It is a well known fact that people with criminal records oftentimes have trouble crossing into other countries. This is something that should have been known to Yemini.
Donation fraud?
Yemini’s employer Rebel News has long faced accusations of misallocating donations it receives from its supporters.
A GoFundMe has been started to take Rebel News to court to retrieve records related to the use of the outlet’s funds.
In 2017, whistleblower Caolan Robertson stated that Ezra Levant, owner of Rebel News, was not being transparent about how his “media” company uses donations.
Hypocrisy?
Interestingly, Rebel News published an article in 2020 about a Wet’suwet’en chief, labelling him as a “wife-beater,” and asking why Trudeau would meet with such a person.
It’s rather hypocritical that Ezra Levant doesn’t apply the same rigorous standards to his employees as he does to the people his employees write about.
However, it’s more than likely he just doesn’t care. Considering the fact Levant has been sued successfully for defamation on multiple occasions, his moral compass doesn’t seem incredibly strong.
Note: this article contains the author’s opinion.
Thanks for including my work.
https://www.victoriannews.com.au/spotlight/the-other-side-of-the-story-rebel-news-doesnt-want-you-to-know/