Drew Griffin dies: CNN investigative correspondent turns 60

Drew Griffin, CNN’s award-winning senior investigative correspondent, died Saturday after a long battle with cancer, his family told the network. He was 60.

“Drew’s death is a devastating loss for CNN and our entire profession,” CNN CEO Chris Licht said in a statement to employees. “As an award-winning investigative journalist, Drew’s work has had an incredible impact and embodies the mission of this organization in every way.”

Over the course of nearly two decades, Griffin worked on hundreds of stories and several documentaries on CNN’s investigative team, according to CNN. His reporting has received awards such as Emmys, Peabodys and Murrows.

Griffin kept his illness a secret from most of his colleagues and reported it until his death, the network reports.

Michael Bass, executive vice president of programming at CNN, said in a note to the research team: “He was fearless and smart, and he knew how to push a story to the limit, but he also had to tell it in a way that everyone could understand. . How many times did he pursue an unwilling interviewer? How many times did he tell the truth to power? How many times did he change something important… witness to his work and how it changed the world changed.”

One of Griffin’s most famous assignments was a yearlong investigation that revealed delays in medical care that contributed to the deaths of patients at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country. His team’s reporting led to the resignation of the VA secretary, followed by the passage of federal legislation and a major change in how veteran hires are handled.

Other Griffin reports include investigations into allegations of sexual assault against Uber drivers, allegations of fraud against Trump University, and reports dispelling myths of widespread voter fraud.

CNN investigative unit executive producer Patricia DiCarlo, who worked with Griffin for nearly a decade, said in a CNN report of his death: “Griffin was an extraordinary writer who turned pieces into “compelling, watchable television stories ” has changed. You know, when a Drew Griffin story starts, it becomes great. His way of speaking sets him apart.”

A native of Chicago, Griffin began his journalism career as a reporter/cameraman for WICD-TV in Champaign, Illinois and has worked for television stations in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Washington. He joined CBS 2 News in Los Angeles in January 1994.

He leaves behind his wife Margot, three children and two grandchildren.