WASHINGTON, D.C. – BuzzFeed says it stands by its reporting but is “working to determine what exactly” special counsel Robert Mueller’s office is disputing about its story on President Donald Trump and his former lawyer Michael Cohen.
Mueller spokesman Peter Carr issued an extraordinary and unprecedented statement on Friday night, “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.”
BuzzFeed said Trump directed Cohen to lie about negotiations over a real estate project in Moscow during the 2016 election. The story was attributed to two unidentified law enforcement officials.
In a statement Friday night, BuzzFeed spokesman Matt Mittenthal says the news organization is trying to figure out what Mueller’s team is taking issue with.
In a separate statement, BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith says it stands by the reporting and the “sources who informed it.” He called on Mueller “to make clear what he’s disputing.”
(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
