‘THEY’LL SHUT US DOWN’

Leaked Audio Shows Bloomberg News Killed a Xi Family Story to Avoid Upsetting China’s Government, NPR Reports

The 2013 investigation was set to dig into Chinese leaders’ ties to the country’s richest man, Wang Jianlin.

Bloomberg News brought a sudden end to an investigation into Communist Party leaders in China for fear of losing lucrative business in the country, NPR reports. The 2013 investigation was set to dig into Chinese leaders’ ties to the country's richest man, Wang Jianlin, including alleged links to the family of President Xi Jinping. In leaked audio of a conference call obtained by NPR, Bloomberg News’ then-Editor in Chief Matthew Winkler said of the investigation: “It is for sure going to, you know, invite the Communist Party to, you know, completely shut us down and kick us out of the country... So, I just don’t see that as a story that is justified.” He went on to say: “They will probably kick us out of the country. They’ll probably shut us down, is my guess.” NPR reports that one of the reporters, Mike Forsythe, signed a nondisclosure agreement when he left the network that bans him from speaking publicly about his time there. The network reportedly also placed pressure on Forsythe’s wife, journalist Leta Hong Fincher, to sign an NDA, but she refused.