Brian Ross, the former investigative reporter for ABC who resigned after spreading fake news, has already landed a new reporting gig.
Law & Crime, Mediaite’s sister entity, announced on Monday that they hired Ross as a chief investigative reporter and on air host.
“Starting in September, Ross will be leading an investigative unit for Law & Crime alongside Rhonda Schwartz, the former chief of investigative projects on the ABC News investigative team,” Mediaite reported. “Ross will also be hosting a weekly original show on the network, ‘Brian Ross Investigates’.”
Ross botched a major story for ABC on December 1, 2017 when he reported that Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn was prepared to testify that Trump ordered him to make contact with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign. The stock market tanked more than 350 points after Ross’s false reporting. (RELATED: ABC’s Flynn-Trump Report Caused Panic In The Stock Market — Then They Corrected The Story)
ABC suspended Ross for one month following the false report, and Ross officially left the network in July. (RELATED: ABC’s Brian Ross Officially Leaves After Former Suspension And False Michael Flynn Report)
Law & Crime founder Dan Abrams brushed aside concerns about Ross’s major mistake, stating, “Brian’s career can’t be judged based on a single live shot.”
“Brian and Rhonda have conducted investigations that have angered major corporations and leaders of both parties,” Abrams said.
In 2012, Ross suggested there were ties between the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooter and the Tea Party, citing the social media habits of a random 24-year-old named Jim Holmes. ABC News and Ross apologized for that mistake. (RELATED: ABC’s Brian Ross Suggests Tie Between Aurora Shooter And The Tea Party)
“With my long-time partner Rhonda Schwartz we are excited to join Dan and his team in building a robust team that will feature the same kind of cutting-edge investigative reporting that won us so many honors at NBC and ABC, holding the powerful accountable,” Ross gushed in a statement.