Late Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fl.) had fired shady I.T. staffer Imran Awan after being arrested trying to flee the country amid a criminal investigation. And yet the “big three” networks ignored this piece of breaking news.
ABC’s World News Tonight, the CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News saw no reason to cover this disturbing story involving double billing, Hezbollah, smashed hard drives, and possessing the e-mails and files of leading congressional Democrats.
Thankfully, the Fox News Channel’s Special Report filed a full report. Host Bret Baier began by stating he had “some breaking news”:
The investigation to a Capitol Hill computer scandal has taken a dramatic turn. Fox News has learned one of the I.T. staffers are being investigated in the case is now under arrest, caught as investigative say they tried to leave the country last night.
Chief Washington correspondent James Rosen revealed that Wasserman Schultz had just fired Awan, “a Pakistani-born I.T. technician who has worked with several family members to perform computer services for Wasserman Schultz and other leading Democratic lawmakers.”
“Awan was arraigned on one count of bank fraud charges in U.S. District Court here in Washington to date following his arrest last night at Dulles International Airport prior to boarding at overseas flight. He pleaded not guilty and was released under strict monitoring. Iwan started working for Wasserman Schultz in 2005,” Rosen added.
Rosen repeatedly credited The Daily Caller for its reporting on Awan, which has been nothing short of exemplary:
In all, The Daily Caller reports that Awan, his brothers, their wives and others collected, at least $4 million for I.T. services performed for Democratic lawmakers. In addition to Wasserman Schultz, these included Diana DeGette of Colorado, chairman of an investigative subcommittee, Jackie Speier of California who sits on the Intelligence Committee, and Ted Deutch, ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee. The investigation started with allegations that the Awan Group was arranged in double billing but then reportedly expanded to include how sensitive House data was stored. The group was barred from House computer networks in February when the U.S. Capitol Police identified them as suspects in a criminal investigation.
After reading from Wasserman Schultz’s statement, he again hat-tipped The Daily Caller for unearthing a disturbing discovery that “authorities seized smash computer drives from Awan's residence.”
So, we have a shady I.T. staffer and his family running a firm that possibly compromised the e-mails and files for a number of key congressional Democrats. To the casual observer, that would probably strike them as disturbing.
If that wasn’t enough, The Daily Caller’s intrepid work revealed that, among other bombshells, Awan and his brother “secretly took” $100,000 of Iraqi money, “owned money to Hezbollah-connected fugitive,” fetched $4 million from Democrats, and had access to DNC e-mails.
Despite all this, ABC, CBS, and NBC haven’t shown interest in this story, according to a Nexis search of Imran Awan and Wasserman Schultz.
Instead, ABC’s World News Tonight covered a brawl between a Delta Airlines pilot and flight attendant. Really earth shattering news, ABC. On CBS, interim anchor Anthony Mason gave a news brief to a rare Andy Warhol painting that could be worth millions being discovered inside a storage unit belonging to rock star Alice Cooper.
NBC Nightly News decided to pass on this Democratic scandal to instead push a Harvard Business School study that proved money could indeed buy happiness.
Here’s the transcript of the segment from FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier on July 25:
FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier
July 25, 2017
6:28 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Capitol Hill Computer Scandal; Feds: Staffer Arrested Trying to Flee Country]
BRET BAIER: Now to some breaking news about a story we have been falling here on Special Report. The investigation to a Capitol Hill computer scandal has taken a dramatic turn. Fox News has learned one of the I.T. staffers are being investigated in the case is now under arrest, caught as investigative say they tried to leave the country last night. Chief Washington correspondent James Rosen is following the latest development in this case and joins us live. Good evening, James.
JAMES ROSEN: Good evening, Bret. Just minutes ago, Democratic Congressman Debbie Wasserman Schultz fired Imran Awan, a Pakistani-born I.T. technician who has worked with several family members to perform computer services for Wasserman Schultz and other leading Democratic lawmakers.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: House Democratic Aide Arrested; Feds Detain Imran Awan on Bake Fraud Charges]
Awan was arraigned on one count of bank fraud charges in U.S. District Court here in Washington to date following his arrest last night at Dulles International Airport prior to boarding at overseas flight. He pleaded not guilty and was released under strict monitoring. Iwan started working for Wasserman Schultz in 2005. She, of course, was forced to resigned as chair of the Democratic National Committee one year ago after Wikileaks began posting her hacked emails online. In all, The Daily Caller reports that Awan, his brothers, their wives and others collected, at least $4 million for I.T. services performed for Democratic lawmakers. In addition to Wasserman Schultz, these included Diana DeGette of Colorado, chairman of an investigative subcommittee, Jackie Speier of California who sits on the Intelligence Committee, and Ted Deutch, ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee. The investigation started with allegations that the Awan Group was arranged in double billing but then reportedly expanded to include how sensitive House data was stored. The group was barred from House computer networks in February when the U.S. Capitol Police identified them as suspects in a criminal investigation. In announcing today's firing, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz said, and I quote: “Mr. Awan previously served as a part-time employee but his services have been terminated. No charges, evidence or findings from the investigation have been formally shared with our office, so we cannot comment on them.”
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: House Democratic Aide Arrested; Wasserman Schultz: Awan Services Terminated]
The Daily Caller has reported that authorities seized smash computer drives from Awan's residence, charging documents released today, however, do not explicit link this bank fraud charge to the House I.T. case.
BAIER: We will continue to follow the story. James, thank you.
ROSEN: You bet.
