Fox News made it clear on Thursday that it would not retract its coverage of the alleged bribery allegations involving Hunter Biden, despite demands from the White House.
Ian Sams, the White House spokesman for oversight and investigations, expressed his dissatisfaction with Fox News’ coverage, which included both broadcast and online segments.
Sams’ discontent centered around the network’s dissemination of claims made by a former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, who has since been indicted for allegedly lying to federal authorities and falsifying records. Despite these developments, Smirnov has entered a plea of not guilty.
In a letter directed at Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott, President Jay Wallace and Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton, Sams criticized hosts Sean Hannity and Jesse Watters for their promotion of the allegations. He also took issue with several Fox News articles and opinion pieces.
“I would cite the number of times Jesse Watters and Sean Hannity promoted this allegation and made false statements about President Biden on primetime television throughout this time period, but the footnote citations would fill multiple pages,” Sams wrote in the letter, which was acquired by The Hill. “As you of course now know, the source of this allegation has been federally indicted for making the whole thing up,” he added, emphasizing the need for Fox News to update its coverage to reflect the indictment of the source.
Sams further argued that Fox News should inform its audience about the discredited nature of the allegations, particularly those viewers of Hannity’s and Watters’ programs.
A representative from Fox News responded to the White House’s demands by defending the network’s coverage, highlighting that it has reported on all significant developments, including Smirnov’s indictment. “Fox News Media has reported on all key developments since the announcement that Alexander Smirnov was charged with lying to the FBI, featuring the story prominently,” the representative stated, committing to ongoing coverage of the investigations, hearings and trials related to the case.
Smirnov, who has been detained due to being considered a flight risk, accused Hunter Biden and his father of receiving $5 million each from Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden served on the board. These allegations came during Joe Biden’s vice presidency. Smirnov’s attorney has defended his client’s credibility, noting his years of reliable service to the FBI.
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