On Thursday, Special Counsel John Durham convinced a grand jury to indict Michael Sussmann, a lawyer with deep ties to both the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign. Sussmann was accused of providing the FBI with false information and lying to investigators about who he was working for. But despite this massive development, neither CBS nor NBC decided to give it airtime that evening, effectively obfuscating it from their viewers.
Instead of reporting on Durham’s indictment of a second person accused of lying to trump up false connections between Russia and former President Trump, the CBS Evening News spent over two minutes (2:01) on a protest to support January 6 rioters (a protest that was two days away). NBC Nightly News didn’t report on either the indictment or the protest.
CBS’s omission was especially heinous considering their senior investigative correspondent, Catherine Herridge (formerly of Fox News), was all over the story on Twitter:
communications channel between the Trump Organization + a Russia-based bank. Sussmann, who had previously represented the DNC in connection with a cyber hack, falsely stated to the GC that he was not bringing these allegations to the FBI on behalf of any client.”
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) September 16, 2021
In contrast, ABC’s World News Tonight did find time (1 minute and 11 seconds) to squeeze in the indictment of Sussmann. “A lawyer with ties to the Democratic Party tonight charged with lying to the FBI. He provided information that said was possible communication between Trump organization computers and a Russian bank,” announced anchor David Muir.
Although, Muir falsely claimed Durham was “appointed by former President Trump” when in reality it was then-Attorney General William Barr.
From there, chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas gave viewers a crash course on what happened in the case (Click “expand”):
David, the special counsel indicted Michael Sussmann an attorney, who today resigned from a prominent law firm that has ties to the DNC and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
In 2016, Sussmann provided the FBI a tip concerning whether the Trump organization was in contact with a Russian bank. The tip yielded nothing but the special counsel claims that Sussmann lied to the FBI saying he was not representing any clients and suggesting he was acting as a good citizen. But the special counsel believes Sussmann was representing a tech company and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
Attorneys for Sussmann say the case is baseless and unprecedented.
“David, the decision to indict came down to the wire. The statute of limitations for any charges tied to these allegations runs out in just three days,” Thomas added.
Of course, Thomas’s rushed report left out critical details. But ABC found time for 2 minutes and 34 seconds on the upcoming protest. Luckily, Fox News Channel’s Special Report was sure to drill down on the important details ABC omitted.
In their over-three-minute (3:06) segment on the Durham indictment, correspondent David Spunt noted that Sussmann’s involvement was hinted a year ago:
When the DNC servers were hacked in 2016, Sussmann was called in for help. Last September, then Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe released documents alleging Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was behind an effort to tie Donald Trump to the Russian’s hacking of those servers. Clinton denied doing so.
Sussmann billed the Clinton campaign for the time he spent meeting with reporters to plant the phony Alfa Bank story pic.twitter.com/npUvss9vVT
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) September 16, 2021
For other crucial details omitted by ABC and the other networks, we look to Washington Free Beacon investigative reporter Chuck Ross (see above). He dove into the indictment and found that one of Sussmann’s clients was discussing “faking a link” between Trump and Russian, and Sussmann fed the lies to the eager media.
“Sussmann billed the Clinton campaign for the time he spent meeting with reporters to plant the phony Alfa Bank story,” he added.
The omission of the indictment and other critical details were made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Liberty Mutual on ABC, Fisher Investments on CBS, and Consumer Cellular on NBC. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
September 16, 2021
6:45:05 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Back here at home tonight to a developing headline from Washington at this hour. A lawyer with ties to the Democratic Party tonight charged with lying to the FBI. He provided information that said was possible communication between Trump organization computers and a Russian bank.
Tonight, a special counsel appointed by former President Trump indicting the attorney for allegedly lying about who he was representing and making those claims. Let's get right to our chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas with late reporting. Pierre.
PIERRE THOMAS: David, the special counsel indicted Michael Sussmann an attorney, who today resigned from a prominent law firm that has ties to the DNC and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
In 2016, Sussmann provided the FBI a tip concerning whether the Trump organization was in contact with a Russian bank. The tip yielded nothing but the special counsel claims that Sussmann lied to the FBI saying he was not representing any clients and suggesting he was acting as a good citizen. But the special counsel believes Sussmann was representing a tech company and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
Attorneys for Sussmann say the case is baseless and unprecedented.
David, the decision to indict came down to the wire. The statute of limitations for any charges tied to these allegations runs out in just three days.
MUIR: Pierre Thomas tonight, Pierre, thank you.
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
September 16, 2021
6:00:34 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: A major development in the long-awaited investigation into the Justice Department's examination of Donald Trump's relationship with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign. Yes. This is the John Durham investigation. A key figure in the case is now facing a federal criminal charge. Correspondent David Spunt tells us where things stand tonight. It's been a long time. Good evening, David.
DAVID SPUNT. Bret, it really has. This is significant on several levels in almost two and a half years. This is only the second prosecution brought forward by Special Counsel John Durham. According to the indictment this afternoon, this attorney mentioned not only provided questionable information to the FBI about Donald Trump, but he failed to mention his connections to the Clinton campaign.
[Cuts to video]
Late today a federal grand jury indicted Michael Sussmann, a cyber-security attorney with ties to the DNC and 2016 Clinton campaign, at the request of Special Counsel John Durham. Sussmann is charged with providing a false statement to the FBI. A source briefed on the investigation tells Fox News, Sussmann met with FBI general counsel James Baker on September 19, 2016. And in that conversation.
ANNOUNCER: Donald Trump.
SPUNT: Linked then-candidate Donald Trump to Russia but failed to properly mention his ties to both the DNC and Clinton campaign.
ANDREW MCCARTHY (Fmr. Asst. U.S. attorney): Sussmann claimed not to be representing anyone at the time. Just looking to pass the information along. Sussmann, in other testimony before Congress, claimed that he was representing at the time a cybersecurity client who he did not identify.
SPUNT: Sussmann's attorneys in a statement to Fox News wrote in part: “Mr. Sussmann has committed no crime. Any prosecution here would be baseless, unprecedented, and an unwarranted deviation from the apolitical and principled way in which the Department of Justice is supposed to do its work.”
When the DNC servers were hacked in 2016, Sussmann was called in for help. Last September, then Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe released documents alleging Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was behind an effort to tie Donald Trump to the Russian’s hacking of those servers. Clinton denied doing so.
Durham began his investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe in May 2019. In June 2020, he charged former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith who later pleaded guilty to falsifying a document used to apply for the FISA warrant to surveil 2016 Trump campaign aide Carter page.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, during his conversation hearing in February pledged to allow John Durham to continue his work.
MERRICK GARLAND: I don't have any reason to think that he should not remain in place.
[Cuts back to live]
SPUNT: If John Durham submits a physical report, Bret, it will go to Attorney General Merrick Garland who could release it to the public. Michael Sussmann will make his first appearance in federal court tomorrow. Bret?
BAIER: Okay. More on this with the panel. David, thank you.
