JRL NEWSWATCH: “New FBI Notes Re-Debunk Major NYT Story, Highlight Media Collusion To Produce Russia Hoax” – The Federalist/ Mollie Hemingway

July 23, 2020 JRL Russia List JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“The New York Times in 2017 falsely reported that the Trump campaign had ‘repeated’ contacts with Russian intelligence officials during the 2016 campaign, and instead of being held accountable for publishing lies, the story’s authors received Pulitzer prizes.”

“The FBI official who ran the investigation into whether the … Trump campaign colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 presidential election privately admitted in newly released notes that a major New York Times article was riddled with lies, falsehoods, and ‘misleading and inaccurate’ information. … penned by three reporters who would win Pulitzers for … reporting on Trump’s supposed collusion …. The FBI’s public posture and leaks … [had] supported the now-discredited conspiracy theory that led to … a special counsel probe …. ‘We have not seen evidence of any individuals affiliated with the Trump team in contact with [Russian Intelligence Officials] . . . . We are unaware of ANY Trump advisors engaging in conversations with Russian intelligence officials,’ former FBI counterespionage official Peter Strzok wrote of the … New York Times story ‘Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence.’ … based on … unsubstantiated claims of four anonymous intelligence officials … echoed by a similarly sourced CNN story … Strzok’s notes are the latest factual debunking of these stories … previously shown to be false with the release of Robert Mueller’s special counsel report finding no evidence whatsoever in support of the Hillary Clinton campaign assertion …. A … [DOJ] Office of Inspector General [report] … also debunked these news reports. Former FBI Director James Comey admitted under oath … that the reporting was ‘false’ …”