Baldwin Incorrectly Claims He’s Exonerated For ‘Rust’ Shooting

Breitbart News reports that on a message posted to his Twitter account on Wednesday, actor/activist Alec Baldwin claimed he has been exonerated for the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his movie Rust, citing New Mexico’s decision to slap the maximum fine on the production company behind the movie.

New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau has hit Rust Movie Productions LLC and its management with a maximum $136,793 fine, saying its “willful and serious” violation of workplace safety procedures  and “indifference” to safety measures resulted in an “avoidable” loss of life.

The official statement from the state’s OSHA Bureau made no conclusions about Baldwin’s guilt or innocence, but he nonetheless posted a screenshot of an iPhone message written by his attorneys declaring that the state’s decision had vindicated the actor.

“We appreciate the report exonerates Mr. Baldwin by making clear that he believed the gun held only dummy rounds,” the statement said. “Additionally, the report recognizes that Mr. Baldwin’s authority on the production was limited to approving script changes and creative casting.”

Baldwin — or his attorneys — seem to have mischaracterized what the state actually said concerning his role as a Rust producer. The actual statement reads: “Alec Baldwin’s authority on the set included approving script changes and actor candidates.”