Scott Pelley, fired ’60 Minutes’ journalist, accuses CBS News boss of lying

The fallout from the high-profile departure of longtime 60 Minutes journalist Scott Pelley has taken a contentious turn. Pelley has publicly labeled CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss a liar, directly challenging her characterization of the events surrounding his termination.

Pelley Disputes Internal Narrative

In a statement reported by Variety, Pelley pushed back against claims made by Weiss during a CBS News editorial meeting. During that call, Weiss suggested that the network made attempts to find a resolution with the journalist. Pelley flatly denied this, stating, "Bari Weiss knows what she said is not true. In the meeting on Tuesday, in which I was effectively fired, there was no effort of any kind to ‘find a way back,’ as Weiss said in the editorial meeting."

A Hostile Exit

The tension appears to stem from a series of heated encounters. Pelley reportedly accused Bari Weiss of "murdering" the legendary news program. He claims that during the June 2 meeting, Weiss, CBS News president Tom Cibrowski, and executive producer Nick Bilton were hostile from the outset, with the topic of his firing introduced by Cibrowski within the first 15 seconds of the conversation.

"No CBS executive, at any time, suggested ‘a way back,’" Pelley said in his statement. "To say so now is disingenuous. And they know it. In fact, Weiss, Cibrowski and Nick Bilton refused to answer my questions."

Clashing Perspectives on Trust

Pelley expressed deep frustration over the optics of the situation, noting, "I am pained that the staff of CBS News was misled in the Wednesday morning conference call. These executives cannot gain the trust of the staff with lies. This is antithetical to everything we stand for and reveals contempt for what journalists do."

According to the report, Weiss defended the network's position during the staff call, emphasizing the need for a newsroom "built on trust and mutual respect." She claimed that "foundation was broken on Monday" and that despite attempts to resolve the situation, they were ultimately forced to "part ways."

While Weiss maintained that the firing was an unfortunate path, she also noted that the outcome did not diminish the significant contributions Pelley made to CBS and 60 Minutes throughout his tenure.