CNN’s Washington bureau is adding two reporters, Evan Perez and Lisa Desjardins, to its ranks. Washington bureau chief Sam Feist announced the hires in an email to staffers this afternoon.
Perez will be a Justice reporter for CNN. He comes to the network from the Wall Street Journal, where he has worked since 1998 covering justice, crime and national security. In his new role, which begins July 28, he will appear on CNN as well as contribute regularly to CNN.com.
Desjardins joins the Capitol Hill unit from recently-shuttered CNN Radio. She will be a Capitol Hill reporter as well as work on enterprise reporting and breaking stories for the network, both on-air and online. She begins immediately.
Read Feist’s full memo after the jump.
We are thrilled to announce two additions to our CNN-DC newsgathering team:
Evan Perez is joining CNN from the Wall Street Journal to our newly-created position of Justice reporter. Evan’s deep sources from his years covering Justice, crime and national security will be an invaluable addition to our Justice team where he’ll report on major stories alongside our Crime & Justice Correspondent, Joe Johns. Evan will regularly write for CNN.com and will also appear on CNN programs to discuss his reporting. At the WSJ, Evan helped lead the team that broke news on the complaint that sparked the FBI’s Petraeus investigation, and the removal of an FBI agent in the case. After the Boston bombing, Evan helped lead the team that broke important developments including the suspected source of explosives and materials used to make the bombs, the investigators’ eyeing associates who discarded evidence, and the FBI’s analysis of the bombs. Prior to the joining the Wall Street Journal in 1998, Evan worked as a Miami reporter for the Associated Press. Evan starts on July 28th.
Lisa Desjardins will join the CNN Capitol Hill unit from CNN Radio into our newly-created position of Capitol Hill reporter. Lisa joins our award-winning team covering that vast and important beat. As you all know, Lisa has distinguished herself as a correspondent for CNN Radio with a knack for making the nuance and intrigue of the Hill come alive in her reports. Lisa is one of the few Capitol Hill reporters who couldn’t wait to actually read the entire Affordable Care Act. In her new role, Lisa will put those skills to the test as she helps cover daily happenings on the Hill as well as enterprise reporting and breaking stories for CNN. She will contribute to CNN.com and will regularly appear on CNN programs to offer analysis and to discuss her reporting. Prior to CNN Radio, Lisa worked as a reporter for the Associated Press and as a reporter for CNN Affiliate WIS-TV in South Carolina. Lisa starts in this new role immediately.