Top Republican senator defends ABC reporter over Flynn reporting mistake

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Sunday came to the defense of ABC News reporter Brian Ross, who faced heavy criticism from Republicans after falsely reporting that then-candidate Donald Trump directed Michael Flynn to contact Russian officials during the 2016 presidential election.

Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said it is “difficult” for him to see malice in Ross’s “mistake” while pointing to the “good relationship” he has maintained with the veteran reporter.

He added that Ross took Grassley’s political science course between 1967 and 1968. Ross went to college in Iowa. 

I’m sure many republican will disagree BUT it is difficult for me to see bad in the “mistake” Brian Ross made abt candidate/ president-electTrump bc 67-68 Brian was a poli/sci student of mine We had a good relationship& do Now

— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) December 3, 2017

ABC News suspended Ross after he inaccurately reported on Friday that Flynn was prepared to testify that Trump “directed him to make contact with the Russians” during the campaign, citing a source who is a close associate to the former White House national security adviser.

ABC later corrected the report, saying that the source said Trump directed Flynn to reach out to Russia and other foreign governments about fighting ISIS, and other issues, after the campaign, when Trump was president-elect.

{mosads}

The report suggested Trump asked his campaign aide to reach out to the Russians during the campaign, a claim that picked up major attention in the news as multiple ongoing probes investigate whether Trump campaign aides colluded with Moscow to influence the outcome of the election.

ABC News first issued a “clarification” and then later a “correction” for the reporting, changing the timeline on Ross’s reporting to say President-elect Trump directed Flynn to communicate with Kremlin officials about issues like ISIS and other “world hot spots.”

The mistake drew ire from many prominent names in politics and the media, including the president, who criticized the erroneous report for spreading “fake news” as well as unfairly targeting Trump.

“Congratulations to ABC News for suspending Brian Ross for his horrendously inaccurate and dishonest report on the Russia, Russia, Russia Witch Hunt. More Networks and ‘papers’ should do the same with their Fake News!” Trump tweeted Saturday.