Yes, the FBI has looked into it and have yet to find any credible source. I also assume every reporter from every publication is investigating it too.
> Are the media reporting on how they chased down leads to confirm or deny the report?
The media never reports on the process of chasing leads and inconclusive stories (which is exactly what NYP did). They only post once they have the actual facts.
> by the media sources who suppressed the story
First off, it's the social media site that suppressed the story, not other publications. Secondly, not reporting something until you have it confirmed is not "suppressing" a story, it's actual journalism.
> as is the publicly stated methodology taken by the Washington Post.
Source?
As for the wapo: https://mobile.twitter.com/aaronjmate/status/132036642124791...
So far, the "investigation" by the media sources who suppressed the story literally seems to be to not even ask if the evidence is real from those who it's targeting, and to just run with the idea that there's plausible deniability so it must be false. As if there'd be anything other than plausible deniability in a real corruption scandal.
Your world makes sense, but only if "cannot verify" means "tried and failed" not "didn't try and suppressed based upon the assumption it was invalid", as is the publicly stated methodology taken by the Washington Post.