Fox News Assigns A Benghazi-Obsessed, Serial Misinformer As New Hillary Clinton Campaign Embed

Fox News tapped national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin as its embed reporter for the Hillary Clinton campaign. Griffin is a frequent Clinton misinformer and has consistently pushed falsehoods about Clinton’s time as secretary of state.

Fox News Announces Jennifer Griffin As Its New Clinton Embed

Fox News Assigns Jennifer Griffin To Cover The Clinton Campaign For Remainder Of 2016 Presidential Race. The Washington Post reported that Fox News has assigned Jennifer Griffin to report on the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign for the remainder of the cycle. The Post reported: 

Fox News announced on Thursday that [Ed] Henry, the network’s chief White House correspondent, won’t be covering the Clinton campaign.

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Fox News is assigning national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin to the task; she has been covering the campaign since May 31. Chief congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel subbed in for Henry immediately following his departure from the airwaves. [The Washington Post, 6/9/16]

Griffin Is One Of Fox’s Leading Benghazi Misinformers

Griffin Pushed The “Stand Down” Order Myth To Attack Clinton. In October 2012 Griffin was one of the first to report that CIA personnel were told by their leaders twice to “stand down” and not send help to a U.S. diplomatic facility that was under attack in Benghazi, Libya. The claim was denied by CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Youngblood, who said:

“We can say with confidence that the Agency reacted quickly to aid our colleagues during that terrible evening in Benghazi,” she said. “Moreover, no one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate. In fact, it is important to remember how many lives were saved by courageous Americans who put their own safety at risk that night-and that some of those selfless Americans gave their lives in the effort to rescue their comrades.” [Media Matters, 11/2/13, FoxNews.com, 10/26/12

Griffin Repeatedly Claimed Clinton, Obama Ignored Requests For Help During Attacks In Benghazi. In May 2014, Griffin cited an anonymous source to claim the State Department sent “no outside US military assets” to the compound. Then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s testimony showed that help was indeed sent to the Benghazi consulate. [Media Matters, 1/14/14, 5/2/14, 12/8/15]

Griffin Alleged That Clinton Personally Denied Requests For More Security. Griffin cited a House Republican report on Benghazi to claim then-Secretary Clinton personally approved of security reductions at the consulate prior to the attacks. However, several news outlets reported that it is normal for outgoing messages from the State Department to bear the secretary’s name, regardless of whether or not they personally approved the message. [Media Matters, 4/24/13]

Griffin Pushed Myths About Clinton’s Response To Boko Haram Attacks

Griffin Alleged That Characterizing Boko Haram As Affiliated With Al-Qaeda Could Have Prevented Kidnappings. On the May 22, 2014, edition of Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier, Griffin falsely claimed that the State Department refused to identify Boko Haram as a terrorist group until November 2013. State Department documents reveal that Boko Haram’s top leaders were designated “foreign terrorists” in June 2012. [Media Matters, 5/22/14]