BuzzFeed Editor-In-Chief Ben Smith (pictured above) said Friday night that the publication stood “by our reporting” that President Donald Trump had directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.
Nearly a day after that report was published, Mueller spokesperson Peter Carr released a rare statement disputing it.
Smith tweeted Friday night: “We stand by our reporting and the sources who informed it, and we urge the Special Counsel to make clear what he’s disputing.”
In response to the statement tonight from the Special Counsel's spokesman: We stand by our reporting and the sources who informed it, and we urge the Special Counsel to make clear what he's disputing.
— Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) January 19, 2019
Smith spoke in similar terms during an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes.
JUST IN: BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith calls into @MSNBC to discuss the special counsel’s new statement, and BuzzFeed News’ response to that statement, with @chrislhayes. pic.twitter.com/oYcf3Q3MQ4
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 19, 2019
The website released another statement later Saturday, to Jon Levine of The Wrap:
NEW:
Latest statement from BuzzFeed
“As we’ve re-confirmed our reporting, we’ve seen no indication that any specific aspect of our story is inaccurate. We remain confident in what we’ve reported, and will share more as we are able.”
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) January 19, 2019
Carr had said in response to the BuzzFeed News report that its “description of specific statements to the Special Counsel’s Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen’s Congressional testimony are not accurate.”
