Fox News downplayed a recent report on questionable business dealings made by Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush after having ignored the story in the days after it broke.

On June 28, The Washington Post reported on Bush's business dealings in the years before and after he was governor of Florida and said Bush “often benefited from his family connections and repeatedly put himself in situations that raised questions about his judgment and exposed him to reputational risk.” As The Post also noted:

Five of his business associates have been convicted of crimes; one remains an international fugitive on fraud charges. In each case, Bush said he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing and said some of the people he met as a businessman in Florida took advantage of his naiveté.

On the June 30 edition of Fox & Friends, correspondent Carl Cameron downplayed The Post's reporting, saying Bush, “like any kind of businessman,” has had “some ups and some downs” and “some of the downs have been in the press lately.” Cameron claimed Bush's decision to release 33 years of tax returns could be a response to reporting on his business dealings:

CAMERON: 33 years of tax returns, that's a lot.

[...]

STEVE DOOCY: I'm sure it's just a coincidence it's coming out today, not raining on anybody's parade, just a coincidence, right, Carl?

CAMERON: Wouldn't dream of it. And it's also worth noting, you know, that his business career, he made a lot of money, but, you know, like any kind of businessman, there were some ups and some downs, and some of the downs have been in the press lately, so this may be answering a little bit of that, but it's also sending a message to Chris Christie ... Look out, Hillary Clinton, when it comes to transparency.

Prior to Cameron's remarks, Fox had ignored The Post's reporting completely in its primetime coverage since the story broke.