Right after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was announced as Kamala Harris' running mate, stories came out accusing Walz of stolen valor. That accusation came directly from Walz's Republican opponent, Sen. J.D. Vance. The Harris campaign put out a Friday night news dump that Walz "misspoke" when he implied in 2018 he'd served in a combat role in the War on Terror. 

The media let things percolate for about a week before they thought it was time to step in and address the elephant in the room. A day after Walz tiptoed around the allegations by saying he was "damn proud" of his service to this country, ABC News decided to look into it. Olivia Rubin and Will Steakin reported:

While there is no evidence that Walz has committed the crime of stolen valor, an ABC News review of hours of footage from his past interviews and speeches, along with years of records from his initial campaigns, shows that journalists, some of his colleagues in the National Guard, and even voters have sometimes been left with an inaccurate picture of his military service that has led to criticism dating back years.

While ABC News could find no evidence of stolen valor, and PolitiFact jumped in with assist, 50 military veterans in Congress have signed an open letter to Walz accusing him of just that.

The letter reads, in part:

To be blunt, when you falsely claim military service that did not happen and abandon your post, you diminish the real sacrifices made by veterans who did serve in combat. Military service is not merely a job or a uniform. Those who serve in the Armed Forces endure rigorous training, face perilous situations, and make sacrifices that most civilians can't comprehend. The honor of wearing the uniform is earned through dedication, bravery, and an unwavering sense of duty. You have displayed none of these characteristics as you have lied your way through a political career launched on the foundation of a title that you did not earn and combat deployments you did not take part in.

That's pretty blunt.

Correcting the record? So Walz didn't stand on the tarmac at Bagram Air Base in Iraq? (Bagram's in Afghanistan.)

We were supposed to take the word of 51 former intelligence officials about Hunter Biden's laptop … these are sitting members of Congress.

As we pointed out earlier, he's "damn proud." That's his response.

No, this won't cost Harris one vote. But it does have people second-guessing Walz.