Incidents like this are the reason CNN was once dubbed the “least-trusted” name in network news. On Wednesday, CNN propagandist Chris Cuomo falsely claimed the FBI has said nothing about investigating claims made by Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Ford.
After calling the nomination process a “circus,” Cuomo said “the FBI could be a cleansing agent here. Can they? Absolutely.”
“Judicial nominees get a background check from the FBI as part of the practice,” he further said. “President Bush with Anita Hill, he asked for the FBI to come in reopen the background check and do it.”
According to a transcript posted by Newsbusters’ Nicholas Fondacaro, Cuomo added:
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
CHRIS CUOMO: President Trump had said he wanted a process, but now he’s saying this.
DONALD TRUMP: I don’t think the FBI really should be involved because they don’t want to be involved. If they wanted to be, I would certainly do that, but as you know, they say this is not really their thing.
CUOMO: None of that is true, okay. We have heard nothing from the FBI saying they don’t want to do this.
Not so fast… Fondacaro minced no words, saying Cuomo’s assertion “was an outright lie. And a total abdication of CNN’s ‘#FactsFirst’ mantra.”
Fondacaro added:
According to reporting by the Washington Post’s Matt Zapotosky, the FBI had declined to do an investigation upon receiving the allegations presented by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). “Importantly, the FBI isn’t doing a criminal investigation based on what Feinstein told them,” he said. “The broad outline of the allegation, as I understand it, seems like it’d be in state/local authorities wheelhouse, if there even is a crime, and if the statute of limitations hasn’t run.”
But those facts didn’t stop Cuomo from railing against Trump for not making the FBI investigate Kavanaugh. “Why isn’t he? Well, that takes us to should, okay. If they do this, and the FBI looks at it, are they going it give us an answer? ‘No, not enough time, too long ago.’ With Anita Hill, they took three days,” he ranted while straw-manning the arguments and admitting they’ll probably find nothing.
Most of Cuomo’s ranting was shot down by Senate Judicial Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in a letter to his Democratic colleagues. This discrepancy just goes to show how much of Cuomo’s arguments were based on DNC talking points).
FBI official on the Dianne Feinstein referral about Kavanaugh: "Upon receipt of the information on the night of September 12, we included it as part of Judge Kavanaugh's background file, as per the standard process."
— Matt Zapotosky (@mattzap) September 13, 2018
Importantly, the FBI isn't doing a criminal investigation based on what Feinstein told them. The broad outline of the allegation, as I understand it, seems like it'd be in state/local authorities wheelhouse, if there even is a crime, and if the statute of limitations hasn't run.
— Matt Zapotosky (@mattzap) September 13, 2018
Grassley’s letter further said:
The purpose of the background investigation process is to compile information in a confidential manner. Confidentiality permits people to speak freely and candidly about the character and qualifications of the nominee. The White House requires the Senate to keep background investigation files private so that people can speak anonymously to investigators if they so desire. Because Dr. Ford’s allegations are in the public arena, there is no longer a need for a confidential FBI investigation.
And as we reported here, the Justice Department issued a statement which said the FBI would not be investigating the claims made by Ford:
“The FBI does not make any judgment about the credibility or significance of any allegation. The purpose of a background investigation is to determine whether the nominee could pose a risk to the national security of the United States,” the DOJ statement said.
“On the night of September 12, the FBI received a letter dated from July 2018 alleging that the nominee engaged in an incident of misconduct in the 1980s,” the statement added. “Consistent with the memorandum of understanding, the FBI forwarded this letter to the White House Counsel’s Office. The allegation does not involve any potential federal crime. The FBI’s role in such matters is to provide information for the use of the decision makers.”
Apparently, none of that matters to Cuomo…
Here’s video of Cuomo’s statement as provided by Newsbusters:
This, by the way, is CNN…
Related:
- Friend of Kavanaugh accuser to CNN’s Acosta: Everyone got molested, but not by Kavanaugh — Video
- Grassley schools Kavanaugh accuser on Constitution, gives Friday deadline for prepared testimony
- National Review article unloads on Kavanaugh-blocking Dems
- Woman who said she knew of alleged Kavanaugh incident now says she has no first-hand knowledge
- Was Kavanaugh’s mother the judge in a 1996 foreclosure hearing involving accuser’s parents?
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