Three Journalists Leave CNN After Retracted Article

(Reuters) - Time Warner's news division CNN has accepted the resignations of three journalists after the publication of a Russia-related article that was later retracted, a CNN spokesperson said on Monday.

The three journalists included Thomas Frank, the writer of the story; Eric Lichtblau, an editor in CNN's investigative unit; and Lex Haris, who oversaw the unit, the network had earlier reported.

The Russia-related story, published on Thursday, reported Congress was investigating the ties of a Russian investment fund to an aide of U.S. President Donald Trump.

CNN had reported an internal investigation by its management found that certain editorial processes were not followed when the article was published.

The report said CNN had deleted the story from its website on Friday night after its investigation.

The story was replaced with an editor's note of apology to Anthony Scaramucci, the Trump aide who was reported to be investigated in the story.

Hahahahaha, CNN has standards??? 😂😂😂
More #fakenews defaming my friend @Scaramucci https://t.co/6m8IhgWMY9

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 24, 2017

Trump has been critical of CNN, calling the news outlet "fake news" and refusing to take a CNN reporter's questions at his first formal news conference earlier in the year after his Nov. 8 electoral win.

The NY Times reports it was the latest in a series of embarrassing episodes at CNN. The network fired Kathy Griffin, a host of its New Year’s Eve special, after she published a photograph in which she appeared to brandish a facsimile of Mr. Trump’s severed head. It cut ties with the host Reza Aslan after he assailed Mr. Trump in vulgar Twitter posts. And it issued a correction on another story that inaccurately predicted the congressional testimony of James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director.

CNN’s aggressive reporting has been a regular thorn in the Trump administration’s side, with Trump criticizing CNN President Jeff Zucker by name at a West Wing news conference. Last week, the reporter Jim Acosta launched a broadside against Mr. Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, for limiting television coverage of briefings; on Friday, the network sent a courtroom sketch artist to document Mr. Spicer’s appearance.