While “60 Minutes” has apologized for and admitted that its Benghazi report that used the supposed “eyewitness” account of British security officer Dylan Davies was a mistake, Fox News, which also used Davies’ account in its stories about the attack, says it is standing by its Benghazi coverage.
“We stand by our reporting on Benghazi, and given what is still unknown, we anticipate further fact finding from those who know the truth about what took place on 9/11/12,” said Michael Clemente, executive vice president of news at Fox News.
Fox News correspondent Adam Housley said on Oct. 28 that “60 Minutes’” main source, Dylan Davies (who used the pseudonym “Morgan Jones”), was also a source for Fox News’ reporting on the attack. Fox News has not said how many of Davies’ accounts were used in its coverage.
Also read: ’60 Minutes’ Lara Logan Admits ‘We Made a Mistake’ on Benghazi Report (Video)
“Some of our reports for FoxNews.com last fall included this ’60 Minutes” witness’ account,” Housley said. “What [Davies] does do in his ’60 Minutes’ appearance last night is once again kind of reaffirm the fact that this attack was vicious. That is was pre-planned. That they knew from the very beginnings of this attack this was not some random situation, this was a pre-planned attack.”
Housley said that though he had spoken to Davies on the phone “a number of times,” but that Fox News ended its communication with him when he asked for money.
Also read:’60 Minutes’ Benghazi Report Under ‘Review’ Over ‘New Information’
Davies claimed that he witnessed the attack on the American diplomatic mission and saw the body of slain ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, but in an incident report he gave to his employers and the account he gave to the FBI he said wasn’t there. When the FBI report was made public on Thursday, CBS began to withdraw its report. On Friday, “60 Minutes” correspondent Lara Logan told “CBS This Morning” that “we made a mistake” in the report and it would be corrected on Sunday’s show.
Davies is the author of a book about the attack that claims to be an eyewitness account. The book was published by Simon and Schuster, which is owned by CBS.
Simon and Schuster did not respond TheWrap’s multiple requests for comment.