NBC News in a statement Thursday admitted that a “freelancer” was ticketed near a bus filled with jurors from the Kyle Rittenhouse trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The network denied that he tried to photograph jurors, but did not deny that he was told to follow the bus.
NBC News said in a statement posted by CNN:
Last night, a freelancer received a traffic citation. While the traffic violation took place near the jury van, the freelancer never contacted or intended to contact the jurors during deliberations, and never photographed or intended to photograph them.
We regret the incident and will fully cooperate with the authorities on any investigation.
The statement came after Judge Bruce Edward Schroeder announced to the courtroom Thursday that a person who identified himself as James Morrison claiming he was a producer with NBC News or MSNBC was pulled over by the police because he had ran a red light.
According to Schroeder, Morrison had told police he was instructed by Irene Byon in New York with MSNBC to follow the jury bus. “The matter is under further investigation at this point,” Schroeder said.
“He was ticketed for violating a traffic control signal, he’s not here today from what I’m told, and I’ve instructed that no one from MSNBC News will be permitted in this building for the duration of this trial,” he added.
“This is a very serious matter and I don’t know what the ultimate truth of it is, but absolutely it would go without much thinking that someone who is following the jury bus — that is a very serious matter.”
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