Fake news scribe from Davidson has some more fake left in him

Davidson grad Cameron Harris created a fake news site and story that claimed Hillary Clinton benefited from election fraud. He made good money off those lies. He got caught making those lies. He got fired for them.

Now, Harris has a little more fake left in him.

On Thursday, after the New York Times revealed his deceit to the world, Harris released a sort-of mea culpa on social media. “I apologize to those disappointed by my actions,” he said lamely, then offered to engage in a conversation about the bigger issues surrounding his “experience.”

“My wish is that I will be allowed to contribute my informed experience to a larger dialogue about how Americans approach the media, tough issues, and the manner in which we, collectively, will inform our decisions going forward.”

Spare us. You wanted to make a buck off lies. Don’t try now to be one of the adults in the room.

We’ll say this about Harris, who was fired by Maryland lawmaker David Vogt this week: He already has the Washington apology down pretty well. When you get caught, don’t talk about your issues. Talk about everyone else’s.

And there are issues here beyond the ones Harris would like to discuss. What should be problematic to many is how Harris so blithely decided to deceive for self-interest. It’s not just a youthful indiscretion; just look at the older folks this week in Washington, where ethical lapses that would doom a cabinet nomination in the past are instead being excused – or characterized as political attacks.

The real news, sadly, isn’t a 23-year-old who sacrificed ethics for personal gain. It’s how well he fits right in.

This story was originally published January 20, 2017 at 8:51 AM with the headline "Fake news scribe from Davidson has some more fake left in him."