Journalist fleshes out White House state dinner scoop involving Scott Morrison and Brian Houston

The US journalist who broke the story of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's involvement in trying to secure an invitation to a 2019 White House dinner for Hillsong founder Brian Houston says sources described a "sphere of bad news" and "scandal" surrounding the controversial pastor. Key points: Scott Morrison wanted to invite Hillsong leader Brian Houston to a state dinner at the White House in 2019 Wall Street Journal journalist Vivian Salama says her White House source said the White House did not want to be associated with Mr Houston due to controversy NSW Liberal MP Tanya Davies responded to Mr Houston’s call to action to overturn the absolute ban to singing in church They expressed no suspicions about Brian Houston personally. When the Prime Minister arrived in Washington DC, the Wall Street Journal's Vivian Salama revealed that the White House rejected repeated requests by Mr Morrison's office to include Brian Houston on the exclusive guest list to the state dinner. She said that when the White House insider first told her about the Australian Prime Minister's intentions to bring Brian Houston along with him to the state dinner, she did not know who Mr Houston was.