In a desperate attempt to deflect from Hillary Clinton's growing email scandal, ABC's White House correspondent Jonathan Karl wrote up a short hit piece for ABCNews.com on Tuesday in which he proclaimed: "Hillary Clinton isn't the only official who uses a non-government email address. A business card obtained by ABC News shows that Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, lists his Gmail address on his official House card."
After employing the investigative journalism skills of obtaining a commonly distributed business card, Karl wrapped up the brief article by revealing what a non-story it was: "Chaffetz told ABC News that his business card was not paid for with government funds and that Congress is not subject to the Federal Records Act. He said that he uses both a Gmail account and a government email account."
Appearing on Wednesday's Fox & Friends, Chaffetz furthered dismissed the absurd comparison between him and Clinton:
Well, that's like comparing apples to a, you know, boat. Look, I put it on my business card, so in terms of openness and transparency, I'm handing it out to reporters. I am not subject, as a member of Congress, to the Federal Records Act. I have two different emails, a House account, but I also have that card there, which was paid for by campaign funds, and so it's kind of ridiculous. We're not even subject to the Federal Records Act.
Karl's online report on Chaffetz was such a nothing-burger that it didn't even make the cut for his appearance on Wednesday's Good Morning America, where he discussed the ongoing Clinton controversy.
Something else left out of the GMA segment was the latest development from the Associated Press that Clinton had her own private email server in her New York home.
Both NBC's Today and CBS This Morning covered the new revelation.
On Today, White House correspondent Kristen Welker noted: "Now the Associated Press is reporting that Hillary Clinton used a private internet service registered to her family home in Chappaqua, New York. Experts call that an unusual move that may have given Clinton tighter control over access to her archives."
This Morning led its coverage with the AP report:
CHARLIE ROSE: We begin with new questions about the private email account Hillary Clinton used as Secretary of State. The Associated Press traced her emails to an internet service based at the Clinton's home in Chappaqua, New York.
NORAH O'DONNELL: Computer experts say a private server would give Clinton a great deal of control over her messages. Margaret Brennan is at the State Department where officials say Clinton's private emails were not illegal. Margaret good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning. Well Clinton's use of private email and servers gave her control over the account and helped shield it from public searches. Now her aides are adamant there was nothing nefarious about these messages. But it all feeds perceptions that the potential presidential candidate was secretive and not transparent.
