{"id":15195,"date":"2015-05-19T16:16:26","date_gmt":"2015-05-19T16:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=15195"},"modified":"2015-05-19T16:16:52","modified_gmt":"2015-05-19T16:16:52","slug":"abcs-stephanopouplos-compromised-by-close-association-with-clinton-foundation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=15195","title":{"rendered":"ABC’s Stephanopouplos Compromised By Close Association With Clinton Foundation"},"content":{"rendered":"

George Stephanopoulos has forfeited all trust as a\u00a0newsman<\/h1>\n

By Michael Goodwin<\/p>\n

\"GOOD<\/a>

GOOD MORNING AMERICA – George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America,” 4\/30\/15, airing on the ABC Television Network. (Photo by Lorenzo Bevilaqua\/ABC via Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

My, my, the bigger they are, the dumber they think we are.<\/p>\n

Dan Rather of CBS was toppled by a phony document scam. Lyin\u2019 Brian Williams at NBC casually mixed fact with self-aggrandizing fiction. Now George Stephanopoulos is caught in a Clinton web of deceit at ABC.<\/p>\n

The hat trick of arrogant anchor scandals helps explain why Americans don\u2019t trust network news. With apologies to Walter Cronkite, that\u2019s the way it is, and the way it is stinks.<\/p>\n

Stephanopoulos shares with Rather and Williams the rotten distinction of fessing up only after being exposed by real journalists. In his case, the Washington Free Beacon<\/a> uncovered his secret donations to the Clinton Foundation and contacted ABC for a response.<\/p>\n

That was the honorable thing to do \u2014 get the other side of the story before publishing it. But Stephanopoulos ditched his journalistic veneer and reverted to his Clinton White House roots by quickly leaking the info to what he regarded as a more friendly news outlet, Politico<\/a>.<\/p>\n

His track record of secrecy, partisanship and dishonorable behavior blows up his claim that he made an honest mistake. He engaged in a prolonged and brazen act of dishonesty.<\/p>\n

Over three years, he gave at least $75,000 to an organization that acts like a political super PAC for Hillary Clinton\u2019s presidential campaign and a tax-free slush fund for the Clinton family and their cronies.<\/p>\n

Through their opaque foundation, the Clintons have financial ties to repressive regimes and shady individuals around the world, pocketing many, many millions for themselves. Yet apparently starting when Hillary was secretary of state, Stephanopoulos made common cause with his former bosses and in the process destroyed any credibility he built as a news anchor and moderator for ABC.<\/p>\n

He made two unforgivable decisions: He didn\u2019t tell his bosses about the donations and he didn\u2019t tell viewers that he had given money to the foundation even as he reported on it and the Clintons.<\/p>\n

At most news organizations, either would be a fireable offense. Either would be a fireable offense at ABC for someone less important.<\/p>\n

But he may be too big to fire, at least quickly, so the network\u2019s defense of him could be a trial balloon to gauge the fallout.<\/p>\n

Even a brief tally of recent offenses makes a compelling case. On April 26, Stephanopoulos grilled Peter Schweizer, the author of the sensational \u201cClinton Cash,\u201d pressing him to admit the book contains no \u201csmoking gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

The implication was that, if it\u2019s not indictable, it\u2019s not important. That\u2019s a legal test, not a journalistic or political one, yet Stephanopoulos cleverly used that standard to give the Clintons the all-clear.<\/p>\n

The anchor also cited Schweizer\u2019s \u201cpartisan interest,\u201d noting that Schweizer was a speechwriter for President George W. Bush.<\/p>\n

But as a columnist in the Washington Post<\/a> noted at the time, Stephanopoulos never told viewers that he had worked for the Clintons and had defended them in many scandals. Like the Clintons themselves, he acted as if the rules only apply to others.<\/p>\n

Two days later, Jon Stewart had Stephanopoulos on his show to talk about news coverage and the Clinton Foundation. To watch a video of the segment is to wonder whether Stephanopoulos fears Stewart knows about the contributions and will bring them up. The lack of disclosure now makes Stewart look like a chump.<\/p>\n