Congressional Candidate Troutman Calls Out Media "Fear" in Covering His Independent Campaign

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Eric J. Troutman, a powerful litigation attorney running for Congress as an independent candidate, is calling out the mainstream media for failing to cover his campaign fairly and aggressively. Troutman says the media is favoring weaker partisan candidates over his more-qualified independent campaign, citing examples of his opponents receiving significant coverage in local media despite having fewer accomplishments and a smaller online presence than Troutman. Troutman accuses the media of being "so afraid" he'll win and "disrupt the system they benefit from" that they're trying to freeze him out of coverage.

Why it matters

Troutman's accusations of media bias highlight the challenges independent candidates can face in gaining coverage and attention compared to their partisan counterparts, even when the independent candidate may be more qualified. This raises questions about the role of the media in political elections and whether they are fulfilling their responsibility to inform the public about all viable candidates.

The details

Troutman, a powerful litigation attorney, is running for Congress as an independent candidate. He says his campaign has had major successes, such as stopping billions of robocalls and disrupting the legal industry, but has received little coverage from the mainstream media. In contrast, Troutman says his opponents, who are running as Democrats and Republicans, have received significant coverage in the local Orange County Register despite having fewer accomplishments and a smaller online presence. Troutman accuses the media of being "so afraid" he'll win and "disrupt the system they benefit from" that they're trying to freeze him out of coverage. He cites examples of recent articles that covered his opponents but failed to mention his campaign, and a Reuters article that failed to acknowledge Troutman's law firm has the highest hourly rates in the nation.

• Troutman spoke to Kaitlyn Schallhorn of the OC Register a few months ago, but his campaign received no coverage.
• In 2026, Troutman's compliance rate exceeded $6,000 per hour, making him the most expensive attorney in the history of the world.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Troutman hinted at potential litigation against media outlets if they continue to improperly favor partisan candidates over his independent campaign, saying "There are very clear laws on this sort of thing so they're playing with fire."