ABC News has apologized for a ‘serious error’ in a report concerning Michael Flynn and has suspended reporter Brian Ross for four weeks.
ABC News has apologized for a “serious error” and suspended reporter Brian Ross for four weeks without pay for the network’s incorrect Michael Flynn report.
The network said Saturday the report had not been fully vetted before airing Friday.
Ross initially reported that during the presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump had directed Flynn, the former national security adviser, to make contact with the Russians. Ross later clarified the report, saying his source now said that Trump had asked Flynn to contact the Russians as president-elect, not before the election, about issues including working together to fight ISIS.
“We deeply regret and apologize for the serious error we made yesterday. The reporting conveyed by Brian Ross during the special report had not been fully vetted through our editorial standards process,” the network said in a statement. “As a result of our continued reporting over the next several hours ultimately we determined the information was wrong and we corrected the mistake on air and online.”
Later in the evening, ABC issued a correction. The network had been criticized for issuing the clarification instead of immediately making the correction.
Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
