Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo apologized at the end of her morning show Wednesday after she was asked to interview an animal rights activist who pretended to be the CEO of a major food processing company .
“We have an important correction to make. It looks like we have been punished,” said the host of “Mornings With Maria” after an interview with Matt Johnson, a grassroots network activist Direct Action Everywhere.
The journalist thought she was interviewing Smithfield Foods CEO Dennis Organ.
“At the beginning of the program, I interviewed someone who claimed to be the CEO of Smithfield Foods, Dennis Organ. We have since learned that he was not Dennis Organ, but an impostor making false claims about the company. He is someone who absolutely does not have Smithfield Foods, we apologize to Dennis Organ, Smithfield Foods and our audience for making this mistake. Obviously, we will be more vigilant. “
During the interview, which was posted to the Direct Action Everywhere YouTube page, Bartiromo talked about food workers pushing to get the coronavirus vaccine earlier. She then asked Johnson, impersonating Organ, about an outbreak of cases in one of Smithfield’s operations.
“It certainly was a challenging time,” said Johnson, “and we have our employees who are in desperate need of these vaccines and, as you mentioned, we are excited to hear that the CDC is prioritizing food workers with this second round of vaccinations. “
Johnson made other statements throughout the interview, at one point stating that, as CEO, he would enact “transparency and, at times, brutal honesty” under his leadership.
He also said that the meat industry could “effectively bring about the next pandemic, with data from the CDC showing that three of the four infectious diseases come from animals and conditions within our farms can sometimes be Petri dishes for new diseases.”
Direct Action Everywhere, which has targeted Smithfield Foods in the past, said in a press release that it wanted to warn the public about “the threat of swine to public health”.
Johnson said on Wednesday that entering the program “involved fake phone numbers and e-mail addresses and sending out many pitches.”
Smithfield’s managing director, Keira Lombardo, called the segment “a complete scam” and said that a simple Google search for its CEO would have prevented Fox from disclosing “false information”.
“The statements that have been made are absolutely and completely false. Smithfield is a recognized leader in animal welfare and care, in protecting the environment and in the safety of work,” said Lombardo in an emailed statement.
“Smithfield employs veterinarians and other specialists throughout the company who ensure that the safety, comfort and health of farm animals are comprehensive.”
Bartiromo previously worked for CNBC, which is part of the NBCUniversal News Group.
