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McAuliffe Snaps That CNN Is ‘100 Percent Wrong’ for Story About Improper Campaign Donations

July 26, 2016

Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Tuesday snapped at CNN anchor Erin Burnett that the network’s reporting was "100 percent wrong" about the federal probe over a donation into his 2013 gubernatorial campaign and demanded an apology.

CNN reported in May that Chinese businessman and former National People’s Congress delegate Wang Wenliang had donated $120,000 to McAuliffe. Election law prohibits foreign nationals from donating to federal, state, or local elections. He has also given $2 million to the Clinton Foundation.

Noting the Clinton Foundation has put Hillary Clinton under extra scrutiny for allegations of pay-for-play with foreign governments while she was secretary of state, Burnett asked McAuliffe, a staunch Clinton ally, if he thought it would be a problem for her.

"First of all, the story’s totally false," he said. "CNN was 100 percent wrong, and they owe me an apology. This gentleman has never been under investigation ... Your story was 100 percent wrong, and they actually came out the next day and said we aren’t looking at this gentleman. He’s never been contacted about it, nor have I."

McAuliffe said CNN should get its facts straight before reporting them. He defended the Clinton Foundation, which a charity watchdog has referred to as a "slush fund."

McAuliffe initially said he was not sure he ever met Wang, but the two actually met at a 2012 dinner, according to the New York Times.