By Lucy Komisar
Dec 9, 2018
At a Council on Foreign Relations meeting on journalism Dec 5, I asked Stephen Engelberg, editor of ProPublica, and Brian Stelter, media reporter and anchor of CNN, why media didn’t report NBC’s killing Ken Dilanian’s exposé of William Browder’s fake Magnitsky story.
AULETTA: Let‘s get some more member questions. Yes?
Q: I‘m Lucy Komisar. I‘m a journalist.
In May 2016, NBC national security reporter Ken Dilanian was ready to go with a heavily documented exposé of William Browder, who he proved was a fraud, that none of his Magnitsky story, which launched Russiagate, was true. Browder‘s lawyer sent a letter to NBC which killed the story.
The State Department knew the details as its Russia experts were in the loop of emails between Browder and Dilanian, emails that I have. But this took place one month before the Trump Tower meeting, which was about the Magnitsky Act; the [Russian] lawyer would have had other options.
That might not have happened. There wouldn‘t have been a Mueller investigation. Manafort was at that meeting. Dilanian‘s report could have changed the course of Russiagate.
Lucy Komisar at Council Dec 2018 meeting
Why is NBC‘s killing that story on lockdown? Why do the media refuse to report it?
AULETTA: Who‘d like to?
STELTER: I hate to say this, but I had no idea, and you‘re the first to tell me.
Q: I will send it to you.
STELTER: So thanks for telling me.
Q: Good. I have sent this to at least thirty big media.
STELTER: I think it‘s always disappointing to assume that we‘re covering something up, as opposed to the more benign answer, which is usually we have no idea about certain things. I would just suggest that.
AULETTA: Next question. Yes, sir?
ENGELBERG: News to me.
STELTER: I‘m bstelter@gmail. I‘m easy to find.
This Q and A is 36 minutes into the full video; text is below the video.
I sent Engelberg and Stelter the story. Neither ever responded.
Will the mainstream or alternative media now report this story?
People who want to know how these influential mainstream journalists are investigating the Browder/Magnitsky story can contact stephen.engelberg@propublica.org and bstelter@gmail.com. Or @SteveEngelberg and @brianstelter.