NBC News suspended one of the network’s correspondents pending an internal investigation after retracting a report that raised questions about the violent attack against Paul Pelosi inside his San Francisco home.
Miguel Almaguer, an NBC “Today Show” correspondent, reported contradicting details of a criminal complaint that had come out in the week since the attack that put House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband in the hospital last month, according to The Daily Beast.
The report noted police arrived approximately 30 minutes after receiving a “high priority” call to the Pelosi home, but we’re “seemingly unaware they had been called to the home of the speaker of the House.”
Almaguer further reported Pelosi opened the door when police arrived, made no attempt to flee the scene, and instead walked away from authorities and back toward his attacker, David DePape, who is currently in the U.S. illegally and had allegedly broken into the home carrying a hammer.
DePape, born in Canada, has been described as a troubled transient and nudist with extreme political views and has been accused of molesting a woman who described herself as his daughter and her brothers when they were children. He is now facing federal and state charges for the attack on Pelosi.
When officers asked whether everything was all right, suspect David DePape told them everything was fine — after which he allegedly attacked Pelosi in full view of the police.
“It’s unclear if the 82-year-old was already injured or what his mental state was, say sources,” Almaguer reported.
The report, which had advanced theories surrounding the context of the attack, quickly spread across news outlets and social media platforms.
NBC officials, however, removed the report from its website later that day.
“The piece should not have aired because it did not meet NBC News reporting standards,” the network said in a statement but did not clarify which part of the report failed to meet the “standard” cited in the editor’s note.
An NBC insider told Deadline that officials pulled the report after determining an unreliable source made claims over what police saw and DePape’s distance from the door.
Stephen Labaton, communications executive vice president of NBCUniversal News Group, told Confider the network doesn’t “comment on personnel matters” when questioned about Almaguer.
Almaguer did not respond to media requests for comment.
Virginia Kruta contributed to this report.
