Wow Brett, do I need to re-summarize my argument for you?  The "evidence" that you provided is that a mainstream publication reported on it and repeated the same claims that 2 other publications have repeated.  If this is how you judge the accuracy of a claim -- by how many times it is repeated in mainstream publications -- then I would question your methodology at truth-seeking. 

Nothing could better encapsulate this mindset than when the Washington Post decided to run the "Russian government fake news site" story.

"This Post report was one of the most widely circulated political news articles on social media over the last 48 hours, with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of U.S. journalists and pundits with large platforms hailing it as an earth-shattering exposé. It was the most-read piece on the entire Post website on Friday after it was published." https://theintercept.com/2016/11/26/washington-post-disgracefully-promotes-a-mccarthyite-blacklist-from-a-new-hidden-and-very-shady-group/