NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Brian Williams is stepping aside from his “NBC Nightly News” amid mounting questions about the accuracy of a story he told about an Iraq War mission in 2003.
“I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days,” he said in a memo to colleagues.
Williams, the subject of an internal investigation by NBC, said “it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions.”
Lester Holt, anchor of NBC’s “Dateline,” will fill in for Williams.
“Upon my return, I will continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us,” Williams added.
NBC has struggled to respond to a scandal that broke wide open on Wednesday when Williams apologized for claiming he was aboard a helicopter in 2003 that was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. He was actually aboard a different helicopter.
In the wake of the embarrassing revelations, journalists have started to raise questions about Williams’ reporting about Hurricane Katrina as well.
