CBS News’ chief executive, Wendy McMahon, donated more than $6,000 to Democrats, The Telegraph revealed.
The findings come as the network has been accused of favorably editing Vice President Kamala Harris’ interview on “60 Minutes.”
In 2020, McMahon donated $6,100 to the Biden campaign and Democratic fundraising platforms, the outlet reported.
Within three months, McMahon donated to Democrats nine times, including two donations worth $2,500 to the Biden campaign and the Biden Victory Fund.
McMahon’s husband, William Burton, donated $100 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2012.
The Telegraph noted that the chief executive of the overall network of CBS, George Cheeks, also donated to the Biden campaign and other Democrats for the 2020 election.
CBS News employees are not permitted to make donations to political campaigns. McMahon’s donations occurred while she worked for ABC, while Cheeks is exempt from the policy as he does not directly with the news division.
According to the report, McMahon is not immediately connected to the interview edit.
Former CBS News staffers have supported calls for investigations into the edited “60 Minutes” interview.
“I think there should be an outside investigation,” a former journalist told the New York Post. “Obviously, there’s a problem here. If they care about journalistic integrity, they would conduct an investigation or release the full transcript.”
“’60 Minutes’ holds itself to the highest journalistic standards,” another former CBS staffer said. “Releasing the transcript would answer everyone’s questions and it would allow them to stand behind the integrity of the story they broadcast.”
Claims that the interview was edited started after host Bill Whitaker and Harris were seen in a promotional clip discussing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the clip, Harris said, “The work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
When the interview aired, audiences noticed that Harris’ answer had been edited to: “We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”
