Leaked CNN Memo: Top Execs to Review All Russia Stories After Fake News Retraction

Leaked CNN Memo: Top Execs to Review All Russia Stories After Fake News Retraction

The media has been running wild with stories about potential links between the Russian government and Donald Trump. But CNN ended up embarrassing themselves after they ran a false story and it’s caused them to make some drastic changes.

Last week, CNN ran a story linking Anthony Scaramucci, one of Trump’s allies, to the Russian Direct Investment Fund. The entire article was based on one anonymous source, which isn’t exactly reliable.

The source said the Senate intelligence committee is investigating the Russian fund in connection with its examination of discussions between White House adviser Jared Kushner and the head of a prominent Russian bank. The bank, Vnesheconombank, or VEB, oversees the fund, which has ties to several Trump advisers. Both the bank and the fund have been covered since 2014 by sanctions restricting U.S. business dealings.

Breitbart investigated the story and an anonymous source “close to GOP Senate leadership” confirmed that CNN’s story was politically motivated. “This is nothing besides Democrats trying to frustrate the efforts of President Trump’s administration while Elizabeth Warren and those of her ilk spend their days collecting taxpayer funded paychecks while they do nothing but stand in the way of the progress of the American agenda and are responsible for this nonsense,” Breitbart’s source said. “They should put their names on it if they want to waste taxpayer money on it.”

After Breitbart’s investigation, CNN yanked the article and apologized publicly to Scaramucci.

Now, CNN is clearly hoping to avoid another embarrassment. CNNMoney Executive Editor Rich Barbieri sent an internal memo to all staff demanding that any stories related to Russia be cleared by him or another CNN executive before being published. The internal memo was leaked, with BuzzFeed’s Deputy News Director Jon Passantino tweeting a screenshot:

Maybe the media should just give up the Russia obsession. Then they would stop humiliating themselves so much.

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