One day before the “bloodbath” at 60 Minutes, I issued this public statement. I did not want to be right.

Statement 5.27.2026

Over the weekend, my contract with CBS News expired, drawing to a close nearly twenty years with the network, including more than a decade at 60 Minutes.

Following an intense editorial dispute over our CECOT story, repeated attempts by my representation to establish a path forward were met with absolute silence from network executives. The message could not be clearer: my time at 60 Minutes is over.

In the coming days, network leadership may attempt to hide behind corporate euphemisms like "modernization" and “restructuring” to explain away my departure. Don't be misled.  This was not a routine corporate transition,  it was a deliberate choice to penalize a journalist for refusing to sanitize factually accurate reporting and it sends a chilling message to the entire newsroom.

Fearless, independent reporting has always been the defining standard at 60 Minutes.   Today, CBS management is abandoning that mission, choosing access journalism over accountability and protecting power rather than scrutinizing it. 

The wall between editorial independence and corporate interest at CBS is being methodically torn down.  Journalists willing to challenge authority are being pushed aside in favor of those who will not.   If this continues, the result will be a broadcast that looks like 60 Minutes but lacks the courage and character to produce journalism that actually matters. 

To my colleagues, who became family -  working beside you has been the privilege of a lifetime.   I’ve learned exactly what it costs to hold the line right now. Hold it anyway.   Viewers and the people who trust us with their stories, deserve nothing less.