Group: Sinclair Must Correct Critical Omission in “Must Run” Segment on Russia Investigation

Sinclair’s Epshteyn Used His “Must Run” Segment to Question the FBI’s Integrity But Failed to Mention His Own Role in the Russia Investigation


WASHINGTON, D.C. – On December 8, former Trump campaign spokesperson and current chief political analyst for Sinclair Boris Epshteyn attacked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a segment called “FBI Integrity.” In the segment, Epshteyn called into question the credibility of the FBI over the ongoing probe into Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election, but failed to mention that in September, he was brought in to testify by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence over the very same issue. The omission could leave Sinclair viewers with the incorrect assumption that Epshteyn is an uninvolved observer.

“Sinclair has aired some pretty egregious pro-Trump propaganda, but this takes the cake. At a media company that values journalistic ethics, this segment never would have aired. If Sinclair has any integrity left, it will immediately air a correction and disclose Epshteyn’s personal involvement in this ongoing investigation. He shouldn’t be allowed to discuss issues like this without informing viewers about his obvious conflicts of interest,” said Karl Frisch, executive director of Allied Progress.

He continued, “It’s exactly this kind of ‘commentary’ that makes the Sinclair-Tribune merger so dangerous for America. If the deal is allowed to go through, Epshteyn will be delivering this political propaganda to nearly three out of four U.S. households. That should worry us all.”

Just last week, Epshteyn used one of his segments to call out members of the media for allowing their own “political beliefs” to slip into their reporting.

If the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approves the merger between Sinclair and Tribune Media, Sinclair will reach 72 percent, or nearly 3 out of 4 U.S. households. Epshteyn’s segment, “Bottom Line with Boris Epshteyn,” is a “must-run”segment that all 191 of Sinclair’s local news stations across the country are required to air at least nine times a week.

To speak with Karl Frisch about Boris Epshteyn and the Sinclair-Tribune merger, please contact Annette McDermott at 202-697-4804 or annette@alliedprogress.org.

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