Veteran AP Reporter Claims WAPO Story About Rex Tillerson Ordering No Eye Contact Is False

Matt Lee, one of maybe the last few official reporters in DC that attempts to hold the State Dept. to account, has openly refuted the claims in a recent Washington Post article that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has instructed employees at the agency not to make eye contact with him or speak to him directly.

Yesterday WAPO reported,

“Most of [Tillerson’s] interactions are with an insular circle of political aides who are new to the State Department. Many career diplomats say they still have not met him, and some have been instructed not to speak to him directly — or even make eye contact.“

Lee responded on Twitter saying he checked out the veracity of such claims weeks ago and they are not true.

This is not true and people repeating it are making it more difficult to address very real issues. https://t.co/ztEm3mAXd6

— Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) March 31, 2017

@MarkHarrisNYC I would suggest to you that I was told of this allegation – weeks ago – and checked it out.

— Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) March 31, 2017

@Tara_Mckelvey It’s compelling gossip. I have looked him in the eyes and not turned to stone. At least not yet…

— Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) March 31, 2017

@mlcalderone Not disputing the entire story. There are issues. But “no eye contact” is not one of them…

— Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) March 31, 2017

WAPO, however, is standing by its report:

“We stand by our report,” managing editor Cameron Barr said in a statement. “Multiple sources told us that staffers were instructed not to directly address or make eye contact with Secretary Tillerson while on trips. We made the secretary’s office aware of our intention to publish this reporting in seeking comment for the story. The detail about eye contact was not challenged.”

So? Is it true or not?

In an era of fake news, it’s like we can’t believe anything we’re reading in the mainstream media either way. Pretty sad statement on “the news” when people have to take to Twitter to find out if something is true or not.