A spokesman for special counsel Robert Mueller took the unusual step Friday of publicly correcting an inaccurate BuzzFeed News report that accused President Trump of suborning perjury.
“BuzzFeed’s description of specific statements to the Special Counsel’s Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen’s Congressional testimony are not accurate,” special counsel spokesman Peter Carr said in a statement to BuzzFeed.
The statement was issued in response to a bombshell report, which cited two law enforcement officials and alleged Trump directed his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress about when exactly plans to construct a Trump Tower in Moscow concluded.
Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying to Congress after admitting that his discussions with Russian officials regarding the construction of a Moscow Trump Tower continued until June 2016 and did not conclude in January of that year, as he previously testified before lawmakers. Cohen also admittedly lied to Congress about the extent of then-candidate Trump’s involvement in those discussions, many of which involved senior Kremlin officials.
According to the Buzzfeed report, Mueller’s team first learned that Trump directed Cohen to lie from “multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents,” a finding Cohen later confirmed during interrogation.
Hours after the report’s publication, discrepancies emerged between the sourcing described by the report’s coauthors, Jason Leopold and Anthony Cormier.
Cormier conceded during a Friday morning CNN interview that he had not personally viewed documents that indicated Trump directed Cohen to lie, but rather had those documents described to him by multiple sources. Hours later, Leopold told MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson that he and Cormier had “seen documents and been briefed.”
Buzzfeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith stood by the report when asked by CNN’s Anderson Cooper Friday evening whether he believed it was still credible given Mueller’s statement.
“We’re really confident in these specific sources and in the story the reporters told,” Smith said.
The statement issued Friday represents just the second time that Mueller’s office has publicly disputed the media’s coverage of the investigation.
The first instance occurred in April, when McClatchy reported that Cohen travelled to Prague in the summer of 2016 to meet with a Russian official. When contacted, Mueller’s office would not address the content of the report directly but issued a general warning about inaccurate depictions of the investigation and its findings.
“What I have been telling all reporters is that many stories about our investigation have been inaccurate. Be very cautious about any source that claims to have knowledge about our investigation and dig deep into what they claim before reporting on it,” Mueller’s spokesperson told the Daily Caller. “If another outlet reports something, don’t run with it unless you have your own sourcing to back it up.”
Reprinted with permission from – National Review – By Jack Crowe
More fake news from the purveyors of LEFTIST (DEMOCRAT) lies , the America hating MSM.
Americans, prepare yourselves for the EVIL coming our way – MAGA#45 !!
There have been so many lies trying to ruin the President that all media and all reports are not worth the time it takes to.read them. I dont even know what the Meuller is supposed to be doing except causing greater hatred bu the sore loser democrats. I still do not understand. Your article is just another tale of he said she said and still we do not know who what when where or why.
Where does all the lies and hate come from? Who does Pelosi think she is? She doesn’t want Trump to get the credit for slowing down illegal immigration. And the citizen of this great country pay the price for her pettiness! We badly need TERM LIMITS!
Outside of saying a report is not accurate, the comments mean nothing. There s no “he didn’t do it”, in those comments.. Either wrap up this investigation or get off the Presidents back. The country is the most important element in this thing. We have too many important issues that need to be resolved.
What am I missing?
Even if the debunked Buzzfeed report was true, and it apparently was not, what is the big deal here? If Cohen lied to Congress under oath, he committed a crime. But anyone who encouraged him to do so committed no crime I’m aware of. Cohen had the freedom to tell his client “NO, I will not commit perjury on your behalf”.
I can tell you that my attorney would not commit a crime on my behalf! Nor should he.
If any of us tells another person to do something illegal, that person can refuse. If they commit the crime, they and they alone are responsible for that crime.
So my point is that even if Mr. Trump, either before or after becoming president, told his attorney to commit a crime, that is not a chargeable offense against Trump and is only an offense committed by the attorney should he choose to do the wrong.
So explain what the big deal is because I don’t see it.
Is this an attempt by Mueller to redeem himself in the eyes of the incoming AG? All this crap about Mueller being just this side of sainthood with his “ethics” has been just another mainstream media’s attempt to make their fake news great again (if it ever was). Mueller and his band of (il)legal goons are just prosecutorial thugs who manipulate “guilty” pleas out of their helpless victims. Their intimidation tactics are legendary. They routinely break their victims’ prosecutorial resolve to defend themselves by breaking them financially. They have the unlimited funding of the government on their side and they beat their victims to surrender with it even when they know they are being unjustly/unfairly prosecuted.
We can only hope President Trump’s latest “Bushie” candidate for confirmation as AG will be a man of principle and integrity who will actually clean up the cesspools the (in)Justice Dept. and FBI have become at the top under Obama and the subsequent Deep State. I’m sure the rank and file employees of these once-proud prosecutorial institutions would be gratified if that could ever actually happen and their integrity restored.
Let me get this right – Trump ended his talking with Moscow about building a Trump Tower there in June of 2016, most likely to avoid any impressions of conflicts of interest since he was running for President at that time. I mean, he wasn’t selling Moscow 20% of our uranium. Now THAT would be something which should be investigated!
Isn’t that against the law ?? False statements smearing a person’s name ?? I think the nutjobs need to take a year in prison to explain to the proper authorities where they came up with thesee lies .
It’s appalling all these left (Democrat) wing moves and lies. Shut down the Mueller witch hunt, arrest Oelosi for Sedition.
I’m a mere 65.9 years old and I have NEVER seen so many lies and division in our Country. It used to be we respect our Commander and Chief. Ever since Obama we have become so divided with the left teaching to hate Trump and his supporters, hate Christianity, Jews, Police, and anyone who disagrees with their rhetoric of trash.
Perhaps we need Marshall Law to set us back on track. It’s a takeover from within. Sure they hate Trump, he’s not a traitor. The man loves this Country and takes abuse 24/7 yet continues to make headway.
I wish he would open the Government because too many good Americans are suffering and I believe Pelosi is the cause, President Trump is our answer.
MAGA# 45
There is nothing that President Trump did, does or will do that will go without “over the top” negative reactions from the Dems and the left (yes, I know, one in the same). They didn’t like Reagan either but at least they gave him a break once in a while.
All I can say to the Demi-left is, as I tell my family, “Don’t poke the Bear”.
Not Buzzfeed, SCUZZFEED! Who in their right mind would believe ANYTHING Buzzfeed puts out?
The leak could have only come from Mueller’s office. He had to correct the narrative or face investigation when William Barr is confirmed.
If President Trump were to open the government today the Democrats would still not work with him. DACA would not get fixed
The border would stay open. Half of America would stay a Hideout for terrorist and gangsters and then everyone crying now that he is beibg unfair to the 800000 without pay would be ? mad because he let in more terrorist. And didnt save ?? America when he had the chance. That is called Dam if you do and dam if you don’t. Not one other President did in 4 or 8 years what President Trump has in 2 years. He isn’t getting any help from the FBI CIA DOJ CONGRESS OR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tell him what else he is supposed to do by himself. You do realize he didn’t get half his staff yet. And half the conservatives FORGOT TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER. WHERE WERE THEY. IT IS THERE FAULT HE IS HAVING TO DEAL WITH PALOSIE NOW.
How about a statement
From Herr Mueller saying
That the basis for His investigation
Is not accurate.
Don’t expect the Mueller investigation to end any time soon. It provides a nice smoke-screen for the real culprits who did collude with the Russians in order to get “dirt” on Trump. With the passage of time it will be too late to bring justice to Hillary and her
supporters. Sad.
I implore everyone to pray for Pelosi
To get sick enough to fear for her life. Many many misunderstand.
When people think they are dying they convert
To the truth and God! She needs that conversion. Pope John Paul told her not to go to communion!!! She needs conversion and a threat to her life I believe is her only avenue to come back to God and leave her party loyalty!
There are others in the democrat party who
Choose party over faith
AND. Who is voting these people in office!!!!??