WASHINGTON: The US news network ABC announced on Saturday it had suspended its chief investigative correspondent for four weeks without pay after he was forced to correct a bombshell report on ex-Trump aide Michael Flynn.

Flynn pleaded guilty on Friday to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russia, a dramatic escalation of the sprawling investigation into possible collusion between Donald Trump’s campaign team and Moscow.

Brian Ross, a longtime ABC reporter, said during a special report shortly thereafter that Flynn would testify that the president ordered him to reach out to Moscow during the campaign — news that sent Wall Street shares tumbling.

ABC later issued a clarification, saying its source had in fact indicated that the orders from Trump came during the presidential transition, after the November 2016 election.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2017