On Friday, Frank Figliuzzi got creative with the truth on MSNBC’s Morning Joe when he repeated the now-disproven story that Devin Nunes would not answer whether the White House had played a role in crafting the FISA memo.
The narrative that Nunes had refused to deny that the memo had been crafted in collaboration with the White House first appeared in a Daily Beast article on Wednesday. The piece cited a transcript of the House Intelligence Committee’s closed-door meeting on Monday, in which Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) asked Nunes about the White House potentially having helped author his memo.
Initially, the article had falsely quoted Nunes as replying, “I’m not answering.” But an editor issued a retraction when the transcript leaked, which showed that Nunes had actually replied, “I would just answer, as far as I know, no.” The Daily Beast has since added the accurate quote to the article’s title.
Despite this narrative having been proven false by the very document it cited as its source, MSNBC contributor Frank Figliuzzi repeated it on Friday’s Morning Joe.
“Did anyone talk to the White House about crafting this memo?” Figliuzzi mused. “Any conspiracy there, any give and take with the White House on the release of the memo? There was essentially a non-response. He wouldn’t take questions on this.”
Figliuzzi even said he was “particularly zeroed in on the transcript of the testimony,” – a peculiar statement considering the leaked transcript actually exonerated Nunes of The Daily Beast’s accusation that he had issued a “non-denial.”
The talking head went on to speculate that Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee were “in conspiracy with the White House,” which he characterized as “meeting the intent element of the statute for obstruction of justice.”
For weeks, the media have been implying that the President himself is guilty of obstructing justice. Now we have MSNBC leveling the same charge at Congressman Nunes. It’s anyone’s guess whom they will accuse next.
