Fox News issued a response on Thursday following the White House’s request for a retraction regarding their coverage of alleged bribery accusations against Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden. The network firmly stated that they stand by their coverage of these allegations and will not be offering any retraction.
On Wednesday, Ian Sams, the White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, expressed frustration over the allegations, which Fox News had covered both on their television broadcasts and online platforms. Sams wrote a letter to network executives, arguing that since a former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, who claimed to have knowledge of the alleged bribery, was indicted for lying, Fox News should retract their coverage. Deadline reported that Smirnov has been charged with lying to federal agents and falsifying records, but he has pleaded not guilty to these charges.
In his letter addressed to Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott, Fox News President Jay Wallace, and Bryan Boughton, the network’s Washington bureau chief, Sams criticized network hosts Sean Hannity and Jesse Watters. He also highlighted several Fox News articles and opinion pieces that the White House took issue with.
“I would cite the number of times Jesse Watters and Sean Hannity promoted this allegation and made false statements about President Biden on primetime television throughout this time period, but the footnote citations would fill multiple pages,” Sams wrote.
“As you of course now know, the source of this allegation has been federally indicted for making the whole thing up,” he continued, according to The Hill. “Despite this, Fox has taken no steps to retract, correct, or update its reporting on this false allegation from 2023.”
“We feel strongly that all Fox News Digital articles on this topic should at a minimum be updated with editor’s notes informing readers that the source of this allegation has been federally indicted for making it up,” Sams wrote.
“We also feel strongly that Fox News Channel television personalities like Hannity and Watters, among others, should inform their viewers on air that they have been sharing a discredited allegation from a source who has been federally indicted for making it up,” he said.
In a correspondence acquired by the publication, a representative from Fox News justified its reporting, highlighting that it had extensively covered every aspect pertaining to the accusations, which encompassed Smirnov’s indictment.
“Fox News Media has reported on all key developments since the announcement that Alexander Smirnov was charged with lying to the FBI, featuring the story prominently,” the representative said.
“We will continue to report on developments in all aspects of the ongoing investigations, hearings, and trials.”
Smirnov was taken into custody a month ago and was instructed to stay in detention due to concerns about him fleeing, as per The Washington Post.
The individual, who holds citizenship in both America and Israel, has made allegations against Hunter Biden and his father, claiming they each received $5 million from the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma. This company had Hunter Biden as a board member while Joe Biden was serving as vice president. A lawyer representing Smirnov has spoken out in support of his client, asserting that he has been a trustworthy resource for the FBI over an extended period.
