Three journalists, including the executive editor of a new investigative branch, have left CNN following the recent retraction of a story on an alleged Congress investigation into a “Russian investment fund with ties to Trump officials.”

Report author Thomas Frank and two senior CNN Investigations Unit figures resigned over the story. The article mentioned a meeting between Trump’s ally and financier, Anthony Scaramucci, and the CEO of the RDIF, Kirill Dmitriev, claiming that the investigators wondered if they had discussed lifting US sanctions against Russia at the World Economic Forum in Davos last year. CNN removed the story and all connecting links to it late Friday, saying the story did not meet its editorial standards. The resignations of the three men, who are experienced journalists, “are likely to come as a surprise to colleagues.” Lichtblau was awarded a Pulitzer Prize, and Haris had been working at the company since 2001 and was the executive editor of CNN Money before joining the investigative unit. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

The Latest on a retracted CNN story about a supposed investigation in a Donald Trump associated and the head of a Russian investment fund (all times local):

CNN says it has accepted the resignations of three employees involved in a retracted story about a supposed investigation into a pre-inaugural meeting between an associate of President Donald Trump and the head of a Russian investment fund. CNN’s website reported that an internal review by the company’s management found that some “standard editorial processes were not followed when the article was published.”

The site added that although the facts in the story were “not solid” enough for publication, CNN has not said the story is false. NEW YORK — Three CNN journalists, including the executive editor in charge of a new investigative unit, have resigned after the publication of a Russia-related article that was retracted. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Three CNN journalists, including a Pulitzer Prize-winner, have resigned after the American news outlet was forced to retract a story it published linking a Trump transition team member to the Russia-related investigations. Investigations Unit editor Eric Lichtblau and Lex Haris, CNN Investigations executive editor, who was building a team that includes notorious Russia-hawk Michael Weiss, both resigned.
Three CNN journalists, Thomas Frank, Eric Lichtblau, and Lex Haris, resign after the publication of a Russia-related article involving President Donald Trump that was retracted.