FAKE NEWS: CNN Reports Tom Price Bought Health Care Stock, Then Enriched Himself. Nope.

Last week, Democrats launched a full-scale media press for an investigation into potential Trump Secretary of Health and Human Services Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) for corruption. Why? Because according to Public Citizen, Price traded some $300,000 in health care stocks while presiding over regulation of the health care industry as chair of the House Budget Committee. Senator Patty Murray announced on Thursday, “I urge Republicans to work with us to make sure we have all the facts in front of us and they are fully reviewed before Congressman Price advances.”

This was all vague. But then the bombshell: according to CNN, Price invested in a health care company, then pushed legislation to drive up the stock price. Smoking gun! Dead to rights!

Here was the CNN report:

Price bought between $1,001 to $15,000 worth of shares last March in Zimmer Biomet, according to House records reviewed by CNN. Less than a week after the transaction, the Georgia Republican congressman introduced the HIP Act, legislation that would have delayed until 2018 a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulation that industry analysts warned would significantly hurt Zimmer Biomet financially once fully implemented.

CNN then quoted a bevy of ethics experts saying that the situation was quite grave.

And then Ellen Carmichael, who has worked for Price, thoroughly debunked the story:

Good morning, all. Who’s ready to see the Price CNN story debunked from start to finish? Here we go… (1/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

.@RepTomPrice has a Morgan Stanley brokered-directed stock portfolio. He is not personally engaged in trades made on his behalf. (2/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

@AG2Pearl @RepTomPrice Tom Price is absolutely not engaged in the management of his portfolio. And even if he was, the timeline doesn’t match CNN’s claims.

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

In March 2016, his broker rebalanced his portfolio and included the purchase of $2,697.74 Zimmer Biomet stock, among others. (3/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

Price was unaware of March 17 stock purchase until April 4. He immediately disclosed his financials on April 15, 2016, 11 days later. (4/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

CNN says that @RepTomPrice introduced legislation after purchasing stock. This is demonstrably false. Work on this began in 2015! (5/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

Purchase on his behalf occurred 3/17/16. Dear Colleague letter in opposition to CMS provision sent 9/21/15. CNN’s timeline is WRONG. (6/x) pic.twitter.com/uATaEpZug2

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

This is journalistic malpractice. Timeline is wrong. Price doesn’t have any direct control over his portfolio. Entire thing is a lie. (7/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

As someone who worked for Dr. Price, I’m physically sickened by this dishonest narrative about a man as far from corrupt as you can be (8/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

I get “this is politics,” but to watch media so happily carry water for Dems who have said he’s the only nominee they’ll oppose… (9/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

…is absolutely disgusting. Price has served in House since 2005, and these people should know better than to believe he’s corrupt. (10/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

I’ve watched so much of his kindness, charity and ethics in person for so long. This isn’t “politics.” It’s character assassination. (11/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

They can’t beat him on ideas, experience or character, so they fabricate an entire corruption narrative the facts don’t support (12/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

And they’re lucky he’s not the kind of person to them that they are to him. He’s not spiteful, angry or mean. But he should be here. (13/x)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

After working for him and knowing him so long, I will vouch for @RepTomPrice‘s character to anyone at any time. This is shameful. (14/14)

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) January 17, 2017

Price’s spokesman said that Price would submit all holdings information to the Office of Government Ethics, and that Price would abide by any rulings by the OGE.

So, the new narrative that Price bought stocks and then designed legislation to enrich himself isn’t true. It’s Fake News.