Drew Griffin, the investigative reporter whose CNN coverage of delayed care at Veterans Affairs hospitals led to the resignation of the department’s secretary, died Saturday. He was 60.
The cause of death was not immediately made public, but Mr Griffin had cancer, CNN CEO Chris Licht said in an email to staff on Monday. According to CNN, Mr. Griffin lived in the Atlanta area and died at home with his family.
“Drew’s death is a devastating loss to CNN and our entire profession,” said Mr. Light. “Drew’s work had an incredible impact and in every way embodied the mission of this organization. He cared about seeking the truth and holding the powerful to account.”
Mr. Griffin joined CNN in May 2004. During his time with the network, he covered a range of issues, including sexual assault allegations against Uber drivers, fraud claims against Trump University during Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, and the aftermath of the January attack. 6 attack on the United States Capitol. According to CNN, his work on the attack on the Capitol was cited in lawsuits by the US Department of Justice.
“His work ethic was second to none,” said Mr. Light. “Even as he battled cancer, he refused to give up reporting that was so important to him and even worked on an investigation until the day he died.”
In January 2014, Mr. Griffin an investigative team that released a story about at least 19 military veterans who died after their appointments at Veteran Affairs hospitals were postponed. Thousands of other veterans experienced similar treatment delays.
Following CNN’s coverage, Eric Shinseki resigned as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, under pressure from the delay in veteran care. Other department officials were later fired.
“We have no time for distractions,” President Barack Obama said when announcing Mr. Shinseki’s departure. “We have to solve the problem.”
The body of work on the veterans, “CNN Investigative Reports: Crisis at the VA,” earned a Peabody Award in 2014, one of the most prestigious recognitions on television and radio. The reporting also earned an Edward R. Murrow Award.
“Our purpose with this coverage was not just to shed light on this problem,” Mr. Griffin said as he accepted the Peabody Award. “We wanted to effect change, hold these politicians and bureaucrats accountable.”
Mr. Griffin also earned a National Press Foundation Award in 2007 and Emmy Awards in 2005, 2006 and 2007, according to CNN.
Mr Griffin’s work has focused on investigations, but he would also volunteer to cover breaking news reports, CNN said.
While covering Hurricane Harvey from Beaumont, Texas in 2017, Mr. Griffin was about to do a live report on CNN when a nearby man drove a truck into floodwaters. Mr Griffin and a photojournalist raced to rescue the man from the truck when it began to sink, a moment broadcast live.
Drew Griffin was born on October 21, 1962.
He received a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and began his journalism career as a reporter and cameraman for WICD-TV in Champaign, Illinois. He then worked in Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina and Washington, according to CNN.
In January 1994, Mr. Griffin joined CBS 2 News in Los Angeles, where he was a reporter and anchor, and helped build an investigative reporting team. While at CBS 2 News, Mr. Griffin reported from New York City to cover the September 11 terrorist attacks, earning a number of local awards for his investigative reporting.
Mr. Griffin is survived by his wife Margot; three children, Ele, Louis and Miles; two grandchildren; and two brothers.
