Brian Ross Exits ABC News in the Wake of Flawed Trump Investigation

Brian Ross will be leaving ABC News, Page Six reports. Ross was suspended last year for a month without pay as the network’s chief investigative correspondent for a faulty report on former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn. Ross’ reporting originally claimed Donald Trump directed Flynn to make contact with Russian officials before being elected, which was not true. That inaccurate detail in the report—which was eventually retracted—sent shockwaves through the stock market and sent most shares tumbling down.

Ross’s longtime executive producer Rhonda Schwartz is also exiting. “The time has come to say good-bye,” said the two in a letter to staff with an announcement by ABC News president James Goldston, according to Page Six.

“After a great run of 24 years, we have decided to pack up and move on from ABC News, an organization that has meant so much to us. We leave with enormous gratitude for all those who supported us and helped build the industry’s most robust and honored investigative unit.” They continued: “While we are signing off from ABC News, we are hardly leaving investigative journalism. There is much more to do.”

According to Page Six, Goldston’s memo praised the both Ross and Schwartz. “They’ve exposed government corruption at every level, international human rights abuses and fraud, uncovered dangerous working conditions, sexual abuse cover-ups and dishonest business practices,” his announcement said said. “Their work has led repeatedly to real changes in policy in the U.S. and around the world.”