(Credit: FT, screenshot)

The Financial Times claimed Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev got his job through nepotism and friendship with Vladimir Putin’s family.

Now the Financial Times is retracting that claim and apologizing, the Press Gazette reported.

iMediaEthics wrote to the Financial Times to ask if it contacted Dmitriev before publication and if there was any financial settlement. The Financial Times only pointed to its correction. We’ve also contacted Dmitriev’s lawyers to ask for more information and if the apology settles legal action.

Dmitriev sued over the claims, alleging libel.

In a retraction, the UK news outlet said:

A recent article (‘Trump adviser’s Russian contact closely linked to Putin family’, April 1, 2018) contained incorrect and unverified allegations from unnamed sources about Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (‘RDIF’), suggesting that he was appointed to the RDIF position (‘rose to the top’) other than on professional merits.

“The Financial Times has therefore withdrawn the allegations, undertaken not to repeat them and, in the High Court of Justice in London on June 20, apologised to both Mr Dmitriev and RDIF for the errors.”

UPDATED: 7/19/2018 11:28 AM