Three journalists resign from CNN following retracted story on Russia

NEW YORK (AP) — CNN wasn't saying Monday what led it to retract a story about a supposed investigation into a pre-inaugural meeting between an associate of President Donald Trump and the head of a Russian investment fund.

Then, Monday night, CNN reported that three journalists -- including the editor heading a new investigative unit -- have resigned in the wake of the controversy.

Thomas Frank, who bylined the story; Eric Lichtblau, an editor in the unit; and Lex Haris, who oversaw the unit, have left the news outlet.

"In the aftermath of the retraction of a story published on CNN.com, CNN has accepted the resignations of the employees involved in the story's publication," a spokesman said.

The story posted Thursday on CNN's website said Senate investigators are looking into the meeting between Anthony Scaramucci, a member of Trump's transition team, and Kirill Dmitriev, whose Russian Direct Investment Fund guides investments by U.S. entities in Russia. Scaramucci, in the story, said he exchanged pleasantries in a restaurant with Dmitriev on January 16.

The report also said that two Democratic senators wanted to know whether Scaramucci had indicated in the meeting whether sanctions against Russia would be lifted, a decision that could impact the investment fund.

On Friday night, CNN removed the story from its website and disabled links, saying it did not meet the news organization's standards. CNN apologized to Scaramucci. The story, by reporter Thomas Frank, did not appear on any of CNN's television networks.

The network hasn't discussed precisely what was wrong with its story, what led to the retraction or whether this will change how it reports stories on Trump and Russia. CNN has had a tense relationship with the president, who has called the network "fake news" and not granted it any interviews.

For his part, Scaramucci tweeted that CNN "did the right thing. Classy move. Apology accepted. Everyone makes mistakes. Moving on."