Markey issues mea culpa for grand jury claim
Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey was forced to apologize yesterday after he “erroneously” claimed live on CNN that a New York grand jury was investigating President Trump’s campaign ties to the Russians.
“There are very strong allegations the Russians had relationships with people inside of the Trump campaign,” Markey said. “In fact, subpoenas have now been issued in northern Virginia with regard to Gen. (Michael) Flynn and Gen. Flynn’s associates. A grand jury has been impaneled up in New York.”
But responding to a Herald inquiry yesterday, spokeswoman Giselle Barry said Markey had made the New York comments “erroneously.”
“Senator Markey does not have direct intelligence that is the case, and the information he was provided during a briefing is not substantiated,” Barry said of the senator’s alternative facts.
“Subpoenas have been issued in Eastern Virginia, but Senator Markey apologizes for the confusion.”
Markey was explaining why he believes Trump’s firing of FBI Director James B. Comey had sent Washington “careening ever closer to a constitutional crisis.”
Both the Daily Caller and a reporter for The Guardian claimed that a Markey aide told them the senator got the information from two conspiracy blogs: one run by Louise Mensch, a former Tory member of the British Parliament, and the Palmer Report, a left-wing website.
A Markey spokeswoman did not respond to a follow-up inquiry about the blogs.
There have been no confirmed reports of a grand jury investigation in New York.
CNN reported earlier this week that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alexandria, Va., had issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of Flynn, who had been Trump’s national security adviser.