Major Media Outlets Fail To Disclose Prominent Clinton Critic's Role As Adviser To Jeb Bush

Major media outlets are turning to former attorney general Michael Mukasey to launch smears against Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton without disclosing the fact that Mukasey is an adviser on Republican Jeb Bush's presidential campaign.

Michael Mukasey Is A Foreign Policy Adviser For Jeb Bush's Presidential Campaign

Mukasey Serving As Adviser To Jeb Bush. Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey now serves as a foreign policy adviser to Jeb Bush, one of many “veteran GOP foreign policy experts” from the George W. Bush administration now counseling Jeb:   

One of the most sensitive tasks Karem and Noonan are expected to tackle is facilitating conversations with Bush's 21-member advisory team of veteran GOP foreign policy experts.

The team, which he unveiled in February, reflects a broad cross-section of GOP thinking, including two former secretaries of state, George Shultz and James Baker; two former CIA directors, Porter Goss and Michael Hayden; former attorney general Michael Mukasey and Paul Wolfowitz, a former deputy defense secretary and lead architect of the Iraq war. [The Washington Post4/10/15

Major Media Outlets Turn To Mukasey To Attack Democratic Candidate Hillary Clinton Without Disclosing His Role In Bush Campaign 

Wall Street Journal Runs Mukasey Op-Ed Attacking Clinton Without Disclosing His Jeb Bush Ties. The Wall Street Journal printed an op-ed from Mukasey on August 14 that failed to disclose Mukasey's role as a foreign policy adviser to Jeb Bush. In it, he argued “Clinton defies the law and common sense” and questioned “her suitability both for the office she held and for the office she seeks.” Yet The Wall Street Journal merely identified Mukasey by saying:

Mr. Mukasey served as U.S. attorney general (2007-09) and as a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of New York (1988-2006). [The Wall Street Journal8/14/15]

CNN Hosts Mukasey To Criticize Clinton's Email Use, Discloses His Role In George W. Bush Administration But Not Current Role As Jeb Bush Adviser. CNN's Wolf Blitzer hosted Mukasey on the August 17 edition of The Situation Room to discuss his “very strong views on the Clinton email controversy” and WSJ op-ed. While Blitzer was careful to note Mukasey's role in “the Republican administration of President Bush,” Blitzer failed to mention Mukasey's current role as adviser to Jeb Bush. [CNN, The Situation Room8/17/15]

Fox News Turns To Mukasey “To React” To Clinton's Email Use Without Disclosing Ties To Both George W. And Jeb Bush. During an August 12 appearance on Fox News' Hannity, host Sean Hannity introduced Mukasey simply as a “former attorney general,” leaving out the fact that Mukasey served under George W. Bush and that he's currently an adviser to Jeb Bush's presidential campaign. Hannity hosted Mukasey “to react to the developing scandal” around Clinton's email use, and Mukasey baselessly claimed that Clinton “quite obviously and quite directly” violated the law. [Fox News, Hannity8/12/15]

NBC Nightly News Promotes Mukasey's Criticism Of Clinton, Doesn't Mention His Advisory Role To Jeb Bush. During the August 19 edition of NBC Nightly News, correspondent Pete Williams highlighted Mukasey's claim that Clinton could be criminally charged for her email use without noting Mukasey's role as an adviser to Jeb. [NBC, NBC Nightly News8/19/15]

MSNBC's Morning Joe Fails To Disclose Mukasey's Role As A Jeb Bush Adviser. On the August 24 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough asked Mukasey about Clinton's personal email use as secretary of state, allowing him to suggest that the investigation into Clinton's server “could be criminal” and that her email use was “grossly negligent” without disclosing Mukasey's role as a foreign policy adviser to Bush's campaign. [MSNBC, Morning Joe8/24/15]

The New York Times Quotes Mukasey's Speculation In Clinton Email Story, Leaves Out Connection To Bush Campaign. In an August 24 article profiling Clinton's long-time lawyer, David E. Kendall, the Times quoted Mukasey's criticism of Clinton while leaving out his connection to the Bush campaign:

Michael B. Mukasey, an attorney general under President George W. Bush, said the thumb drive was a concern “insofar as it may contain information that should not be present outside a dot-gov setting that is approved for handling classified information.” He added, “Recall John Deutch,” referring to a former C.I.A. director who faced charges for having classified information on home computers until Mr. Clinton pardoned him. [The New York Times8/24/15]