Journalist claims Washington Post should give back its Pulitzer for story on Russia collusion

Just The News last week obtained and shared nearly 700 pages of once-secret documents related to the FBI's investigation into the collusion allegations. Those documents included proof that former NSA Director Mike Rogers told FBI agents that the crux of a Pulitzer Prize award-winning Washington Post story on the Russian collusion hoax was “wrong."

By Misty Severi

Published: April 14, 2025 6:18pm

Investigative journalist Seamus Bruner on Monday stated that he believes the Washington Post should give back its coveted Pulitzer Prize on a now-debunked story about Russia's supposed collusion with President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.

Just The News last week exclusively obtained and shared nearly 700 pages of once-secret documents related to the FBI's investigation into the collusion allegations. Those documents included proof that former National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers told FBI agents that the crux of a Pulitzer Prize award-winning Washington Post story on the Russia collusion hoax was “wrong."

Bruner told "Just the News, No Noise" that he believes the revelation means the Washington Post should give its Pulitzer Prize back or renounce the award. He also indicated that the New York Times should give its award back for its coverage of the story.

"They totally should give it back," Bruner said. "And it's just such a shame what's happened to the Pulitzer Committee. It used to mean something to win a Pulitzer, and ever since 2016 I've watched year after year they give Pulitzers to total disinformation. I remember the New York Times also got a Pulitzer for its Russia reporting, which was totally wrong."

The Pulitzer Prize Board's website said the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting was awarded to the staffs of the Washington Post and New York Times “for deeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage in the public interest that dramatically furthered the nation’s understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team, and his eventual administration.”

It is not clear whether the Washington Post had been told prior to the May 2017 publishing of their story that Rogers was denying their characterization of his talk with Trump.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.