The editor said the reporter was trying to authenticate the online exchanges between MD4Bush and Steffen, and did not participate in the actual postings.
The private freepmail was posted on a thread. Could the person who posted publicly be not MD4Bush but the Washington Post writer trying to set up a ruse for the method of his discovery?
This was my first thought when I heard that the WPost reporter had used MD4Bush's login info. Thanks for making this point. I haven't heard this idea discussed yet. One of the key questions in this story is, "who copied the private freepmail text and posted it into the public portion of FR?".
I am willing to bet that there was a problem using private freepmails as a source and either MD4Bush posted the private content on behalf of the WP reporter or gave the WP reporter the login info so he could do it himself.
That would be an amazing development if we could prove that this WP reporter engaged in unethical behavior because he needed to create a valid source. Seems par for the course with the MSM.
Could be just that. But risky for the reporter if the excrement hits the fan like it's now doing.
MD4BUSH could swear he didn't post the private email conversations on a public thread.
Can a reporter claim privilege if the source is an illegally accessed email account? I don't think so.
I'd be interested in knowing the IP address of the computer that posted the FRmails on the thread. If that address is associated with the Post, then they have a big problem, I would think.