Armstrong Williams wants to buy Washington City Paper: report

Conservative columnist Armstrong Williams is interested in purchasing the Washington City Paper, an alternative weekly, The Washington Post reported Monday.

Williams told the Post that if he purchased the paper, he would not impose his political view on its editorial operations.

“My goal is to make the City Paper so good people will be saying, ‘Are you sure Armstrong Williams is the owner of this paper?’ That would be a success,” Williams said.

{mosads}He did, however, mention features centered on prominent figures in President Trump’s circle, including Communications Director Hope Hicks’s hobbies and former chief strategist’s Stephen Bannon’s involvement in charities, the Post noted.

Williams, who is a contributor for The Hill, served as an adviser to former presidential candidate Ben Carson, and remains a confidant of the Housing and Urban Development secretary. Williams also defended Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas amid sexual harassment allegations.

Washington City Paper’s parent company, Nashville-based SouthComm, put the publication up for sale in October.

Its sale follows the shuttering of numerous local news operations, including DNAInfo and Gothamist. The Village Voice in New York City also announced it would no longer produce a print edition.

–This report was updated at 1:20 p.m.