Ambassador did not leak Trump stories, says reporter
‘I broke a number of stories in the years I covered State. None of them contained incorrect information’
A US television journalist has denied that Lord Darroch, Britain’s former ambassador to Washington, was the source for her exclusive stories.
Michelle Kosinski, who until recently was CNN’s senior diplomatic correspondent, said “sensitive” details she learnt about the Trump administration did not come from Lord Darroch.
Her comments came after The Sun reported the former ambassador had been investigated, and cleared, by the
US Department of Justice, as it sought to find out where Ms Kosinksi was getting her information.
The journalist wrote on Twitter: “A so-called ‘leak investigation’ found NO such leaking. Meaning, for all those stories listed – that ‘sensitive’ information did not come from the former ambassador. Sounds like I had some good sources and did my job.”
Referring to allegations about an alleged relationship with Lord Darroch, she said “incorrect information about my private life” had been published, which was “nonsense” and
“unacceptable,” and had been “referred to my lawyers”.
Among the news stories involved was one about Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, planning to travel to North Korea.
Ms Kosinski said: “Case in point – the Pompeo/North Korea information – all came from inside Trump’s own orbit. Every damn time.”
During her career, Ms Kosinski has been a foreign correspondent in London and covered the Arab Spring, before being posted to cover the US State Department.
She said: “I broke a number of stories in the years I covered State. None of them – not one – contained incorrect information.”
The Department of Justice did not return a request for comment.
Lord Darroch was not immediately available for comment.
He resigned in July after confidential memos he sent back to London, about Donald Trump’s administration, were leaked.
Earlier this month, Lord Darroch expressed doubts that the White House was being transparent about Mr Trump’s health when he was diagnosed with Covid-19.
Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, he said: “I don’t expect the White House to be massively transparent about the course of the virus or how the president is coping at certain points.”