CNN’s Erin Burnett on Statement from Mueller’s Office: ‘It Sounds Pretty Terrible for BuzzFeed’

The news that Robert Mueller‘s office put out a statement disputing BuzzFeed’s big Michael Cohen report shocked pretty much everyone tonight, and on CNN Erin Burnett said it doesn’t look good for BuzzFeed.

Mueller’s office rarely puts out statements, but in response to the report that got so much pick-up since last night, spokesman Peter Carr sent out a statement saying, “BuzzFeed’s 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.”

CNN political correspondent Sara Murray told Burnett it’s remarkable they would have put this statement out in the first place, but said this is a “very different kind of story.”

Former US district attorney Harry Sandick said Mueller’s office likely felt an obligation to “correct the record” and keep people from being “misled.”

Burnett then said, “We need to know more details, but you have a news organization come out citing two law enforcement officials with direct knowledge, saying there was corroborating evidence, saying one of the reporters had seen it, and the special counsel’s office is saying it blatantly isn’t true. I mean, it sounds pretty terrible for BuzzFeed.”

John Dean agreed and said, “I looked at the reporters who were behind the story. I only know one of them, Jason Leopold. He’s a careful reporter. And I can’t believe he would put out a bogus story. The other one is a Pulitzer Prize winner, which makes it even more confusing. They’re both investigative reporters, and they must have trusted their sources, so they may have been misled by their sources. It’s hard to tell at this point.”

You can watch above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

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