Months later, The Hill has yet to complete review of John Solomon’s columns at center of impeachment
More than two months after announcing a review of his work, The Hill newspaper has yet to complete its promised evaluation of columns written by John Solomon, a former executive at the outlet who during his time at the publication pushed conspiracy theories about Ukraine into the public conversation.
It’s unusual for a newsroom to take so long to review stories that have been so fiercely disputed by individuals with first-hand knowledge of relevant events.
But in a statement issued on Thursday, The Hill Editor-In-Chief Bob Cusack told CNN Business, “I appreciate you checking in regularly and I understand your need to follow up on this. Our review continues with a collective intensity and thoroughness which is needed and expected on a subject of importance.”
“We cannot put an exact timetable to something this significant,” Cusack added. “But we are confident it will be completed in the near future. Rest assured we’ll be sharing it with you when it has been properly completed.”
Cusack first announced the review of work done by Solomon, who is currently a Fox News contributor, on November 18, 2019.
“Because of our dedication to accurate non-partisan reporting and standards, we are reviewing, updating, annotating with any denials of witnesses, and when appropriate, correcting any opinion pieces referenced during the ongoing congressional inquiry,” Cusack wrote in a memo to employees at the time, which was obtained by CNN Business.
Weeks after he sent his memo, Cusack reiterated the message on Twitter, saying the review was being “handled by a team of editors and reporters.” He promised, “All results of the review will be transparent and public.”
Since his comments, the House of Representatives has completed its hearings and voted to send two articles of impeachment to the United States Senate, where a trial is now underway.
The Hill’s review, however, remains ongoing. None of Solomon’s stories, which were strongly disputed by witnesses during the House impeachment hearings, have been corrected.
Columns by Solomon, who has defended his work but did not respond to a request for comment Thursday, helped shape public perception of Joe Biden’s work in Ukraine, especially among Trump supporters.
The columns helped trigger the chain of events that led to Trump asking the recently-elected Ukrainian president to probe Biden. And multiple witnesses referenced the reporting in their Congressional testimonies disputing the veracity of Solomon’s columns.
One, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, said of one of Solomon’s stories, “I think all the key elements were false.” Pressed further on the matter by Rep. Lee Zeldin, a New York Republican, Vindman said, “I haven’t looked at the article in quite some time, but you know, his grammar might have been right.”
