Watch CBS News

Scott Brown On Bin Laden Photo Gaffe: 'I Wasn't The Only One'

SHARON (CBS/AP) - U.S. Sen. Scott Brown refuses to say how he was duped into believing he had seen photos of Osama bin Laden's corpse.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Jim Smith reports

Podcast

During several interviews Wednesday, he suggested he saw the photos during an official briefing in Washington.

"I have seen the pictures, I've received the briefings, I've spoken to the operational leaders, and I can tell you for a fact that he is dead," Brown originally told WBZ-TV's Jon Keller Wednesday.

Later that day, President Barack Obama decided not to release the photos. Then Brown released a statement saying the picture he was shown was fake.

During an event Friday morning in Sharon, reporters pressed Brown about who showed him the photo and what made him believe it was authentic.

"The pictures were widely disseminated when we found out they were fake. I corrected the record just like everybody else," he told WBZ-TV's Karen Anderson.

"We've all moved on. We have a huge host of other things to deal with."

WBZ-TV's Karen Anderson reports

On Thursday Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh said Brown needed to tell voters who showed him the fake photo.

"It's typical politics. I'm kind of used to it," Brown said Friday, accusing Democrats of trying to "gin things up."

"I get it, but people know better."

"Immediately when we found out we corrected the record," Brown explained.

"When we spoke to you (Wednesday afternoon) we gave you corrected information, very shortly thereafter. We called you, remember."

"(The) bottom line is the president and his team did a great job. That's the story.  And I wasn't the only one to get the pictures."

In addition to Brown and Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, the ranking Republican on the Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, has also admitted he was taken in by the phony pictures.

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.