A solid 24 hours after Fox News reported the massive bombshell that the FBI was pursuing a criminal investigation into the Clinton Foundation, the liberal “Big Three” networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were scrambling to defend Clinton Thursday evening. While failing to report the news at all that same morning, CBS and NBC claimed that it was a crazy lie Donald Trump was telling his supporters, while ABC and the Spanish-language networks censored the story entirely.
Instead of reporting on the bombshell news, ABC’s World News Tonight dedicated an over 4 minute long puff piece to touting the efforts of Clinton’s campaign and glorifying her campaign surrogates.
“Today in Jacksonville, falsely alleging Clinton is under criminal investigation for the Clinton Foundation,” declared reporter Katy Tur in regards to a Trump rally, on NBC Nightly News. She tried to downplay the investigation as old news, stating, “A senior law enforcement official tells NBC News after an initial look, the case has not moved an inch in months.”
According to the Fox News report, the shocking news comes with an “avalanche of new information coming every day” to the FBI that could lead to an indictment. But CBS’s Major Garret seem quite irked on CBS Evening News by the way Trump was using the news. “Not quite,” interjected Garrett, “CBS News has confirmed that the FBI has looked into the finances of the Clinton Foundation but so far, no charges have been filed.”
In addition to their initial report Wednesday evening, Fox News’ James Rosen had more to report Thursday evening on Special Report.
“The foundation case, as opposed to the e-mail case, is seen by the field agents at the FBI -- my source is well placed source inside the FBI,” Rosen explained, “It is the foundation case that is seen as the stronger of the two, in part because of the way the e-mail case has been conducted.” Rosen also mentioned that his source informed him that the FBI believes multiple entities had breached the meager security measures of Clinton’s personal server.
When it came to reports of a great divide within the FBI Rosen’s source confirmed it:
The field agents are very disappointed that more hasn't been done on both cases. But particularly in the case of the foundation investigation. The field agents believe they have the goods for a case. It's the higher ups, the political appointees and the career prosecutors who tend to be more cautious and are behaving that way in this case.
Transcripts below:
CBS
Evening News
November 3, 2016
6:31:22 PM Eastern [2 Minutes 32 Seconds]SCOTT PELLEY: The race is down to five days, and Hillary Clinton's lead is down to three points. In a new CBS News/New York Times poll tonight, it's Clinton 45 percent, Donald Trump 42. Two weeks ago Clinton had a nine-point lead. Motivating voters is key, and today, both campaigns seemed to adopt a new motto—“if you can't win them, scare them.” Donald Trump was in Florida with his version of a story in today's Wall Street Journal about the FBI and the Clinton Foundation. Major Garrett was there.
[Cuts to video]
DONALD TRUMP: So, let me ask you this question, I've never done this before. Will justice be done or not? Will justice be done, yes or no?
MAJOR GARRETT: In Jacksonville, Florida today, Donald Trump seized on a new report that the FBI has investigated criminal wrongdoing at the Clinton Foundation.
TRUMP: It was reported that an avalanche of information is coming in. The FBI agents say their investigation is likely to yield an indictment.
GARRETT: Not quite. CBS News has confirmed that the FBI has looked into the finances of the Clinton Foundation but so far, no charges have been filed.
...
...
NBC
Nightly News
November 3, 2016
7:08:00 PM Eastern...
TUR: Today in Jacksonville, falsely alleging Clinton is under criminal investigation for the Clinton Foundation.
D. TRUMP: The FBI is investigating how Hillary Clinton put the office of secretary of state up for sale in violation of federal law.
TUR: A senior law enforcement official tells NBC News after an initial look, the case has not moved an inch in months.
[Cuts back to live]
Tonight a worst-case scenario is being discussed in some Republican circles, talk of a special prosecutor or impeachment if Hillary Clinton does get elected. Lester?
LESTER HOLT: Katy Tur in North Carolina tonight, thank you.
...
FNC
Special Report
November 3, 2016
6:04:18 PM EasternBRET BAIER: Chief Washington Correspondent James Rosen has been working his sources as well on this story. He joins me now here in the studio. James, good evening, what are you hearing?
JAMES ROSEN: Good evening, Bret. Much of what we have heard but a lot of it is confirming. For example, there are really two parallel cases the FBI has been investigating for over a year. One is the Clinton e-mails case. The other is the Clinton Foundation case. And agents are hard at work on both right now. The foundation case, as opposed to the e-mail case, is seen by the field agents at the FBI -- my source is well placed source inside the FBI. It is the foundation case that is seen as the stronger of the two, in part because of the way the e-mail case has been conducted.
The field agents, for example, cannot believe that Director Comey authorized the provision of immunity to two of Hillary Clinton's lawyers, Heather Samuelson who reviewed the e-mails and Cheryl Mills who was the secretary’s chief of staff, when normal procedure at the FBI would be to immunize one of them and then pressure that individual to flip and deliver the other.
On the e-mails case, this source I asked, “Is there anyone at the FBI who believes Secretary Clinton's server wasn’t hacked?” And the answer was, “No.” And the source says to me, “It’s pretty certain that she was hacked. It doesn't take a computer rocket scientist to figure that out.”
BAIER: They're digging into it?
ROSEN: They’re digging into it. And they believe as many as five to seven individuals or hostile actors might have breached that server.
BAIER: And the split, we just heard about with Catherine and I talked about, real from your source?
ROSEN: Yes. The field agents are very disappointed that more hasn't been done on both cases. But particularly in the case of the foundation investigation. The field agents believe they have the goods for a case. It's the higher ups, the political appointees and the career prosecutors who tend to be more cautious and are behaving that way in this case.
BAIER: James, thank you.
