US envoy urges independent probe of German reporter's fraud The U.S. ambassador in Germany is calling for an independent investigation into the actions of a German journalist who for years fabricated elements of his articles, including about the United States

BERLIN -- The U.S. ambassador in Germany is calling for an independent investigation into the actions of a German journalist who for years fabricated elements of his articles, including about the United States.

Ambassador Richard Grenell said late Friday that the revelations "are troubling to the U.S. Embassy, particularly because several of these fake stories focused on U.S. policies and certain segments of the American people."

German weekly Der Spiegel said Wednesday that award-winning reporter Claas Relotius, an award-winning reporter had for years fabricated interviews and supposed facts until a colleague raised concerns. He'd written almost 60 articles for the publication.

Grenell said he wrote to the magazine's senior editors "calling for an independent and transparent investigation."