On the January 13 edition of Special Report, Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett falsely suggested that no Republican senators are publicly supporting the nomination of Timothy F. Geithner to be Treasury secretary. Reporting on reactions to Geithner's failure to pay certain taxes while employed at the International Monetary Fund, Fox News' White House correspondent Major Garrett asserted during the January 13 edition of Special Report: “Senate Democrats are closing ranks ... and Senate Republicans are keeping their powder dry.” In fact, less than two hours before Garrett's report, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) made statements in support of Geithner (who has reportedly paid the taxes he owed) on Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto. Gregg stated: “He's [Geithner] the type of person you want as your Treasury secretary. And I just think this is a lot to do about nothing.” Gregg later stated: “But, you know, we gotta stop looking at the ridiculous and look at the serious. We are facing one of the most significant financial crises in the history of this country. Talented people like Tim Geithner are needed right now.”

Garrett also ignored a January 13 FoxNews.com article that reported that Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said, “I still support him. I have no problem. ... He's a very, very competent guy.”

Similarly, a January 14 Washington Times article ignored Gregg's comments and Hatch's reported comment in asserting that “Republican senators said they will have to see what details emerge before deciding whether to support Mr. Geithner's confirmation” and that "[o]ther Republicans were trying to decide how much of an issue to make of the revelations." The Times also quoted a “senior Republican aide who requested anonymity because the senator for whom he works had not concluded how far to push the issues” as saying: “It's serious. ... This is the guy who would run the IRS.”

From the January 13 edition of Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto:

CAVUTO: Meanwhile, in the middle of all of this, the president-elect is calling for $350 billion in bailout bucks. And now it's looking like he will get a lot more than that: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid just saying he's very confident he has the votes.

One of them coming from New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg, and he's a Republican. Senator, always good to have you.

I do want to get to this $350 billion, senator, but your thoughts, very quickly, on this Geithner housekeeper issue. What do you make of that?

GREGG: Gee, I -- I just find it to be really -- really unfortunate, because I -- you know, here's -- here's an extraordinarily qualified guy, who we really do want to have in leadership here in Washington.

He's got immense talent. He's the type of person you want as your Treasury secretary. And I just think this is a lot to do about nothing. I mean, the IMF issue is probably a little bigger, because it is a tax liability. But you can understand how something like that might happen, because you don't pay taxes if you work for the IMF.

And if he got an accountant letter that said he didn't owe them, you could understand why he didn't pay them. And if a second look at it said he should pay them, and he paid them, so be it. He did it.

But, you know, we gotta stop looking at the ridiculous and look at the serious. We are facing one of the most significant financial crises in the history of this country. Talented people like Tim Geithner are needed right now. And let's not get tied up over these nanny-gates, which really don't go to the essence of what the problem is, which is that Americans are going -- are losing their jobs. And our country's at serious financial risk --

CAVUTO: All right, well it's --

GREGG: -- unless something is done. And we need a leader to do it.

CAVUTO: -- it's a valid point, senator, but also very competent, well-regarded folks like Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood and Linda Chavez lost out on appointments because of issues very similar -- double standard?

GREGG: Well, yeah, I think you take them one at a time. In this instance, unless there is something more to this than -- than has been reported, I think it would be a serious loss to this country not to have this talented individual as our Treasury secretary.

From the January 13 FoxNews.com article:

Incoming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs defended Geithner, saying, “He's dedicated his career to our country and served with honor, intelligence and distinction. That service should not be tarnished by honest mistakes, which, upon learning of them, he quickly addressed.”

“He made a common mistake on his taxes, and was unaware that his part-time housekeeper's work authorization expired for the last three months of her employment,” Gibbs said.

“We hope that the Senate will confirm him with strong bipartisan support so that he can begin the important work of the country,” he added.

Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, also defended Geithner.

“I still support him. I have no problem,” Hatch told FOX News. “He's a very, very competent guy.”

From the January 13 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Bret Baier:

BAIER: Welcome to Washington, I'm Bret Baier. The man who President- elect Obama wants to handle the nation's money is under a microscope tonight regarding how he handled his own money and his own household. Timothy Geithner apparently failed to pay some of his taxes or check the background of an employee. Senior White House correspondent Major Garrett joins us now with the story, Major.

GARRETT: Well, Bret, the employee issue does not seem to be a big one. The real focus of the Senate is taxes. The reaction so far: Senate Democrats are closing ranks, the Obama transition calls it an honest mistake, and Senate Republicans are keeping their powder dry. Here are the facts, folks.

From the January 14 Washington Times article:

Democrats said the delinquent taxes, some of which Mr. Geithner paid only after he learned that Mr. Obama was considering him for the post, were an “honest mistake.” Republican senators said they will have to see what details emerge before deciding whether to support Mr. Geithner's confirmation.

[...]

Other Republicans were trying to decide how much of an issue to make of the revelations.

“It's serious,” said a senior Republican aide who requested anonymity because the senator for whom he works had not concluded how far to push the issues. “This is the guy who would run the IRS.”