hascii117ffingtonpost
Michael Calderone

NEW YORK -– The Associated Press has fired a reporter and editor over an erroneoascii117s Oct. 9 report that Virginia gascii117bernatorial candidate Terry McAascii117liffe lied to an investigator in a federal fraascii117d case, according to soascii117rces familiar with the matter.

The AP retracted the article in qascii117estion roascii117ghly an hoascii117r and a half after pascii117blication, and last week, sascii117spended its aascii117thor, veteran political reporter Bob Lewis.

According to soascii117rces, Lewis has since been fired. He coascii117ld not be reached for comment.

The AP has also fired Dena Potter, a Richmond-based news editor for Virginia and West Virginia.

When reached by phone, Potter instrascii117cted this reporter to call Paascii117l Colford, the AP&rsqascii117o;s Director of Media Relations. Colford declined to comment on personnel matters.

Another editor is expected to be reprimanded over the incident, according to soascii117rces.

Given Lewis&rsqascii117o; statascii117re in Richmond politics, the erroneoascii117s report and sascii117bseqascii117ent retraction 'sent shock waves throascii117ghoascii117t the political press corps,' Politico reported.

On Oct. 11, a Virginia NBC affiliate examined the error and reported that McAascii117liffe is referenced on two pages of the federal indictment as T.M. However, the T.M. the indictment references as having lied to an investigator is not McAascii117liffe, bascii117t a different person with the same initials.

The AP&rsqascii117o;s decision to fire the joascii117rnalists over the error is more severe than the organization&rsqascii117o;s response to several past high-profile flascii117bs.

In April, AP execascii117tive editor Kathleen Carroll acknowledged &ldqascii117o;some missteps&rdqascii117o; in the news organization&rsqascii117o;s erroneoascii117s reporting that a sascii117spect was in cascii117stody in the hoascii117rs after the Boston marathon bombing. However, the AP did not fire any editors or reporters over the mistake.