The Guardian Caught Stealth Editing 'Bombshell' Report On Alleged Assange-Manafort Meeting

Chris Menahan
InformationLiberation
Nov. 27, 2018

The Guardian was caught stealth editing their "bombshell" report alleging multiple "secret meetings" occurred between Paul Manafort and Julian Assange after both parties categorically denied it ever happened.

Wikileaks caught the stealth edits and showed them in a series of posts, the results of which you can see below (click to expand):

They made another change as well further down in the report:

Not only did they try to run away from their own reporting but they changed the number of supposed "sources" from "two" to potentially anything. They did not include any note at the bottom or the top of the article noting the changes.

Ninety minutes after publication the Guardian modifies its "Manafort held secret talks with Assange" headline to add ", sources say". pic.twitter.com/zcg8cQcYGq
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) November 27, 2018

@KathViner We're going to charge 10% interest, compounding, on the $1.000.000 and publish a new figure every week until the Guardian pays up and you resign. pic.twitter.com/gctUS32Hl2
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) November 27, 2018

Wikileaks asked if The Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner will resign over the "100% fake," "completely fabricated" story:

Guardian rapidly back-pedalling on 100% fake "Manafort visited Assange at embassy" story. Expect more changes. Will editor @KathViner resign? https://t.co/JgEXSTXFzg
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) November 27, 2018

Guardian quietly edits itself away from completely fabricated blockbuster "Manafort visited Assange at embassy" story. Expect more changes. Will editor @KathViner resign? https://t.co/JgEXSTXFzg pic.twitter.com/93mdLRtncb
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) November 27, 2018

2) After seeding the initial fake story, other media outlets pick it up, sourcing the initial publication. Spreads like wildfire across MSM, and an "impression" is created - even though the story is potentially false and lacks credible sources altogether. https://t.co/SokBUhXBQ0
— Sharmine Narwani (@snarwani) November 27, 2018

Assange legal rep Hanna Jonasson noted how the story was dropped just hours before a hearing was held in the Eastern District of Virginia where a judge was reportedly deciding whether to unseal the US government's alleged charges against Assange (no decision was reached):

Incredible: @TheGuardian is running an entirely bogus story as its front page headline just hours before @rcfp US EDVA hearing on the unsealing of the #AssangeIndictment.
Dan Collyns and Luke Harding have been peddling entirely false Russia propaganda for months.@dcms #FAKENEWS pic.twitter.com/90j1QqgPTa
— Hanna Jonasson (@AssangeLegal) November 27, 2018

The authors of the bogus Guardian story, Dan Collyns and Luke Harding, were in Ecuador 10 days ago with US-funded Villavicencio, who they have previously bylined with in bogus stories. This picture was taken last week. pic.twitter.com/hK4SFCJgKI
— Hanna Jonasson (@AssangeLegal) November 27, 2018

Remember when The Guardian falsely said that Assange had hacked the embassy systems, and then modified their article post-publication after WikiLeaks threatened to sue? That was Collyns, Harding and Villavicencio.https://t.co/1G2t2hvzfq pic.twitter.com/zFSlNpk1rP
— Hanna Jonasson (@AssangeLegal) November 27, 2018

Villavicencio has fabricated claims about people visiting Assange in the past. In May he claimed Farage visited Assange on 28 April this year, a month after Ecuador initiated its 8 month-long isolation of Assange, banning phone calls, all visits, internet.https://t.co/ZdzeTsCUtL pic.twitter.com/oD9TdPyE5p
— Hanna Jonasson (@AssangeLegal) November 27, 2018

Villavicencio made the ludicrous claim in July that Manafort could be Wikileaks source of the DNC material.
In the same story, Villavicencio tried to implicate former diplomat Fidel Narvaez in a plot.
Collyns and Harding's have a habit of recycling Villavicencio fabrications. pic.twitter.com/Wg77m6gRbO
— Hanna Jonasson (@AssangeLegal) November 27, 2018

Journalist Mark Ames said on Twitter that Guardian writer Luke Harding was caught plagiarizing his and others work in the past and it "had zero effect on his career advancement":

Guardian hack Luke Harding was caught plagiarizing me, @yashalevine & others—and it had zero effect on his career advancement. If his latest “scoop” on Manafort/Assange is debunked, there will be zero consequences. Most of us still can’t fully grasp this https://t.co/8AeD8GRXh0
— Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) November 27, 2018

UPDATE: Julian Assange has ordered Wikileaks to sue The Guardian for libel:

BREAKING: @WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange has instructed his lawyers to sue the Guardian for libel over fabricated Manafort story and launched a legal fund to boost the action https://t.co/VaoMESN5RO
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) November 27, 2018

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