On Tuesday night, ABC and NBC made no mention of a congressional hearing that took place earlier in the day addressing a scandal unveiled in a Department of Justice (DOJ) report that said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in Colombia had participated in sex parties over a multi-year period funded by American taxpayers and the very drug cartels they were fighting.
The lack of coverage from ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News mirrors that of when the original report was released on March 26. In both that case and Tuesday’s hearing, only the CBS Evening News provided a full report on the scandal.
Anchor Scott Pelley started the segment by declaring to viewers that the “scandal involving U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents seems to be getting worse by the day” as a new “report made public today by the House Oversight Committee says that American taxpayers footed the bill for sex parties in Colombia.”
After having reported on the scandal when it first broke, national correspondent Chip Reid was there to cover the House Oversight Committee hearing. Highlighting the bipartisan anger, Reid played a soundbite of Republican Congressman Trey Gowdy (S.C.) before saying that the ranking Democrat and Congressman Elijah Cummings (Md.) found the DEA to be “completely out of control.”
Following additional soundbites from Democratic Congressman Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts (who was incorrectly labeled a Republican) and DEA administrator Michelle Leonhart, Reid informed viewers of the findings from a new report turned over to the Oversight Committee:
According to the new report, the DEA sex parties in Colombia began in 2001 and are believed to have ended in 2008. It was “daily routine,” according to the report, for “operational budgets” to use leftover money to hire prostitutes. Seven agents who admitted participating in sex parties received suspension of just one to 10 days. Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz was furious that agents haven’t been fired.
Wrapping up the two-minute-and-12-second segment, Reid noted that:
Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder put out a memo reminding department employees that paying a prostitute for sex is a violation of department policy. Well, today, Scott, some members of Congress said it’s a sad state of affairs when federal law enforcement agents need to be reminded of that.
Even though ABC and NBC ignored the story, Spanish-language network MundoFox has repeated covered it with full segments on its Monday and Tuesday evening newscasts.
While ABC failed to cover the hearing (but did cover the DOJ report on March 27), NBC has yet to acknowledge the story on either Today or NBC Nightly News.
The relevant portions of the transcript from the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley on April 14 can be found below.
CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley
April 14, 2015
6:36 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Sexual Misconduct]
SCOTT PELLEY: A scandal involving U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents seems to be getting worse by the day. A report made public today by the House Oversight Committee says that American taxpayers footed the bill for sex parties in Colombia. Chip Reid is following this.
(....)
CHIP REID: In a sometimes-explosive hearing, Democrat Elijah Cummings said the Drug Enforcement Agency is completely out of control.
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN ELIJAH CUMMINGS (Md.): They appear to have paid for prostitutes with no concern whatsoever for the negative repercussions or security vulnerabilities they created.
(....)
REID: According to the new report, the DEA sex parties in Colombia began in 2001 and are believed to have ended in 2008. It was “daily routine,” according to the report, for “operational budgets” to use leftover money to hire prostitutes. Seven agents who admitted participating in sex parties received suspension of just one to 10 days. Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz was furious that agents haven’t been fired.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN JASON CHAFFETZ (R-Utah):You allow this person, who engages a prostitute, throws glass at her, breaking the skin – there's blood all over the place, and they're still employed at the DEA?
REID: Leonhart noted there was little she could do because of civil service protections for federal workers.
DEA ADMINISTRATOR MICHELLE LEONHART: I assure you that I was quite disappointed in the penalties imposed.
REID: Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder put out a memo reminding department employees that paying a prostitute for sex is a violation of department policy. Well, today, Scott, some members of Congress said it’s a sad state of affairs when federal law enforcement agents need to be reminded of that.
