Democrat Rep. Juan Vargas’s campaign incorrectly claimed a top CNN executive had given it a $1,000 contribution. The campaign now admits its error and has filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to correct the mistake.
According to both FEC and OpenSecrets records, CNN’s Executive Vice President of News Standards and Procedures Richard Davis gave the campaign $1,000 in a donation listed on Nov. 4, 2014. The campaign now admits that isn’t accurate. Campaign Treasurer Nancy Haley stated on Sept. 18: “We realize a clerical error was made and we have corrected it immediately upon discovering the error and have fled [sic] an amended report with the FEC today.”
The Media Research Center discovered the campaign document, which listed Davis by name, CNN as his employer and his job title as “VP News Standards & Practices.” The MRC then contacted CNN for comment Sept. 16 but didn’t receive a response by deadline. After a story was published, Davis correctly contested the information and the MRC took it down to contact both the FEC and the campaign.
According to the FEC, the information was the responsibility of the campaign. After reviewing its 2013-2014 donation records, the Vargas for Congress campaign determined that it had incorrectly identified the donor and moved to correct the record.
Upon learning of the alleged contribution, the MRC had reached out to CNN’s New York Communications Press contact on Sept. 16, several hours before the story was published. After speaking with a CNN public relations coordinator, the MRC emailed questions regarding Davis’s purported donation to a PR coordinator, to verify the donation and request a statement from CNN concerning it. CNN did not respond by the deadline.
CNN’s Richard Davis has been with the network since the first day. He has had an impressive variety of responsibilities, including coordinating coverage of the inaugural Goodwill Games in Moscow, producing high profile interviews with presidents -- including George Herbert Walker Bush and Bill Clinton -- and other world leaders. He has also covered seven political conventions, and managed CNN’s on-site coverage of six Super Bowls and six World Series.
Davis has served as CNN’s Vice President for News Standards and Practices for the past 17 years where he is responsible for ensuring that CNN’s reporting is “fair, accurate, and responsible.”
