CBS and ABC noticed FBI Director James Comey’s dramatic testimony before Congress on Wednesday... just not the part that was about Hillary Clinton. Good Morning America and CBS This Morning on Thursday focused on what Comey had to say about the threat from Russia hacking the upcoming election, but they excluded the Director being grilled over not charging Clinton, as well as the decision to give immunity to certain aides. NBC’s Today show, a four hour-long program, totally ignored all of Comey’s testimony.
Congressman Jason Chaffetz grilled Comey on Clinton’s tech aide Paul Combetta wondering how to use BleachBit to destroy records. Chaffetz demanded, “How is this not a conscious effort to alter federal records?... These federal records were under subpoena. They were under a preservation order. Did Mr. Combetta destroy documents?”
CBSNews.com covered the story, revealing:
Under particular scrutiny was the Justice Department’s decision that granted a few of Clinton’s top aides, including her former chief of staff, immunity in exchange for their cooperation, and in some cases, their laptops. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) took it a bit further, raising concern with the number of witnesses who had been permitted to stay in the room during Clinton’s testimony with the FBI in July.
Instead of showing any interest in this on the actual network, CBS This Morning co-host focused elsewhere: “Director James Comey told Congress yesterday that cyber hackers are still trying to break into U.S. voter databases.” Reporter Jeff Pegues related, “...Lawmakers questioned FBI Director James Comey about whether the Russians were trying to breach U.S. election systems.”
Over on Good Morning America, Pierre Thomas didn’t even mention Comey’s name. He just stated, “The FBI Director saying hackers are actively trying to break into multiple states voter databases.” As noted earlier, the 240 minute-long Today show had nothing on anything the FBI Director’s told Congress.
Certainly, Russia attempting to hack into voter databases and impact our election is important. It should be covered. But these programs have a combined eight hours of air time. There is enough time to cover both. Yet again, however, the friendly Clinton media protected the Democrat from bad news.
On Wednesday night, the networks also skipped the FBI Director's testimony.
A transcript of the CBS This Morning segment is below:
CBS This Morning
9/29/16
7:36am ETCHARLIE ROSE: The FBI is urging states to make sure their voting registries are secure from hackers. Director James Comey told Congress yesterday that cyber hackers are still trying to break into U.S. voter databases. At least 19 states have asked the Department of Homeland Security to help protect their voter registration systems. Officials are not saying which states have concerns. Jeff Pegues is in Washington and he looks at the growing threat.
JEFF PEGUES: Good morning. First, it was Arizona and Illinois. Now multiple law enforcement sources are telling CBS News that a total of about ten states have had their systems probed or breached by hackers. We learned that information as government officials are becoming increasingly concerned about Russian efforts to disrupt or influence the election.
JEFF COMEY: We are urging the states just to make sure that their dead bolts are thrown and locks are on.
PEGUES: On Wednesday on Capitol Hill, lawmakers questioned FBI Director James Comey about whether the Russians were trying to breach U.S. election systems.
COMEY: There has been a variety of scanning activities, as well as some of attempted intrusions at voter registration databases beyond those we knew about in July and August.
PEGUES: Officials have been reluctant to blame Russia publicly but privately cyber experts and government officials alike believe the Russian government or hackers working with it are behind the election system cyber attacks and this spring’s hack on the Democratic National Committee. In an interview earlier this month, Russian president Vladimir Putin played coy when asked about his government's involvement in the DNC hack.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: No. I don't know anything about that.
PEGUES: The U.S. has its own offensive and defensive cyber capabilities. The programs are highly classified. In a recent interview with CBS News, CIA Director John Brennan declined to offer specifics about whether the U.S. is using its cyber tools to respond to Russia. What about the U.S. capabilities?
JOHN BRENNAN: Well, there is a different type of capabilities that the United States will have and I'm not going to give you and your listeners a sense —
PEGUES: You can't talk about it?
BRENNAN: And I choose not to.
PEGUES: A government official says the Russians like their cyber activity to grab headlines and while these cyber strikes have been successful in accomplishing that goal, U.S. officials are confident that the outcome of the election will not be affected. While voters databases are accessible through the internet, most voting machines are not. Gayle?
