Brian Williams stepped down from the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation board of directors on Thursday, as he continues to deal with the fallout from exaggerating his experience while covering the Iraq War.
{mosads}The foundation made the announcement on its website, noting that Williams had served on the board since 2006. It did not respond to a request for comment from Stars and Stripes, the news outlet that initially broke the story questioning Williams’s version of events.
The foundation fundraises for events to promote the values of Medal of Honor recipients and educate Americans about the award. The Medal of Honor is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a member of the military.
Williams is beginning a six-month suspension from his role as “NBC Nightly News” anchor. The popular newsman had repeatedly claimed that he flew in a helicopter forced down by a rocket-propelled grenade while reporting on the Iraq War in 2003.
But Stars and Stripes published interviews with soldiers who questioned Williams’s account, and he ultimately admitted that the story was not true.
He said in a public admission during a newscast that he had made a mistake while trying to praise the veterans with whom he travelled.
The blowback has led to other outlets questioning other reports by Williams, including his harrowing account from New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. He will not return to the network until September.
In the meantime, Lester Holt has filled his spot with “Nightly News.”