My Unwitting Role in the Rove 'Scoop'(Bogus Rove Indictment Story)

Washington Post ^ | June 18, 2006 | Joe Lauria

[Anti-Bubba182]

The May 13 story on the Web site Truthout.org was explosive: Presidential adviser Karl Rove had been indicted by Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald in connection with his role in leaking CIA officer Valerie Plame's name to the media, it blared. The report set off hysteria on the Internet, and the mainstream media scrambled to nail it down. Only . . . it wasn't true.

As we learned last week, Rove isn't being indicted, and the supposed Truthout scoop by reporter Jason Leopold was wildly off the mark. It was but the latest installment in the tale of a troubled young reporter with a history of drug addiction whose aggressive disregard for the rules ended up embroiling me in a bizarre escapade -- and raised serious questions about journalistic ethics.In his nine-year reporting career, Leopold has managed, despite his drug abuse and a run-in with the law, to work with such big-time news organizations as the Los Angeles Times, Dow Jones Newswire and Salon. He broke some bona fide stories on the Enron scandal and the CIA leak investigation. But in every job, something always went wrong, and he got the sack. Finally, he landed at Truthout, a left-leaning Web site.

I met Leopold once, three days before his Rove story ran, to discuss his recently published memoir, "News Junkie." It seems to be an honest record of neglect and abuse by his parents, felony conviction, cocaine addiction -- and deception in the practice of journalism..........."

[Anti-Bubba182]

Good information on the writer of the bogus Rove indictment story and his methods. It says a lot about Truthout that they would use him and none of it is good.

In the article it is suggested Leopold impersonated another reporter, Joe Lauria, who comments on the action and his experience with Leopold.

[AntiGovernment]

Leopold has managed, despite his drug abuse and a run-in with the law, to work with such big-time news organizations as the Los Angeles Times, Dow Jones Newswire and Salon.

Big mistake on the part of these organizations.

[Palladin]

Another lying thieving mendacious reporter named Jason.

What is it with reporters named Jason?

[PJ-Comix]

Remember, WILLIAM RIVERS PITT said he verified Leopold's sources in triplicate.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

"It seems to be an honest record of neglect and abuse by his parents, felony conviction, cocaine addiction -- and deception in the practice of journalism..."

Personally, I'll take the word of a coke-addicted, lying, narcissistic felon with unresolved Freudian "issues" regarding his childhood; over that of a senior Presidential aid every time. </sarc>

[Xenalyte]

ping!

[shield]

What about PIG WAYNE MADSEN...he put out pretty much the same story on 5-17....the left goes way over to smear Bush and his administration....they're a bunch of nutty wackos...

[Jalapeno]

Lauria forgot to mention Dan Rather.

[CedarDave]

Leopold is in too many ways a man of his times. These days it is about the reporter, not the story; the actor, not the play; the athlete, not the game. Leopold is a product of a narcissistic culture that has not stopped at journalism's door, a culture facilitated and expanded by the Internet.

So true. Except the internet has exposed the ethical shortcomings of the journalists, not caused them.

[HardStarboard]

Suspicions confirmed about the leftist press.

The guy is obviously bucking for the "Dan Rather Truth In Journalism Award".*

*Second only to the Putlizer in prestige for a leftist journalist

[Jalapeno]

oh, and TO still has it all on thier website:

http://www.truthout.org/fitzgeraldcalling.shtml

[Jalapeno]

Oh, this page is even better:

Standing Down on the Rove Matter

By Marc Ash,

Fri Jun 16th, 2006 at 03:01:50 PM EDT :: Fitzgerald Investigation 
(209 comments) 

Yesterday, most Mainstream Media organizations published 
reports about a letter supposedly received by Karl Rove's 
attorney Robert Luskin. As an example of the supposed 
letter's contents, TIME Magazine stated that, "Special 
Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald said or wrote, 'Absent any 
unexpected developments, he does not anticipate seeking 
any criminal charges against Rove.'" 

Truthout of course published an article on May 13 which 
reported that Karl Rove had in fact already been indicted. 
Obviously there is a major contradiction between our 
version of the story and what was reported yesterday. As 
such, we are going to stand down on the Rove matter at 
this time. We defer instead to the nation's leading 
publications. 


In that Mr. Luskin has chosen the commercial press as his 
oracle - and they have accepted - we call upon those 
publications to make known the contents of the communiqué 
which Luskin holds at the center of his assertions. 
Quoting only those snippets that Mr. Luskin chooses to 
characterize in his statements is not enough. If Special 
Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald has chosen to exonerate Mr. 
Rove, let his words - in their entirety - be made public.


Reporter Jason Leopold 


Mr. Leopold did not act alone in his reporting of this 
matter. His work, sources and conclusions were reviewed 
carefully at each step of the process. There is no 
indication that Mr. Leopold acted unethically. 


Please keep in mind that over the years we have reported 
on many examples of individuals being scapegoated in 
crisis situations by superiors seeking cover from 
controversy. Truthout, however, does not do scapegoats. 
And we stand firmly behind Jason Leopold. 


The Confidentiality of Our Sources 

As journalists, nothing is more critical to being able to 
report guarded facts than the guarantee of confidentiality 
we provide to our sources. Truthout has never compromised 
the identy of a confidential source. We will protect our 
sources on this story, as we have on every other story we 
have ever published. 


Expect a more comprehensive accounting of this matter on 
Monday, June 19. 

Marc Ash
Executive Director - Truthout
director@truthout.org 

[Navy Patriot]

Joe Lauria is a leftie Bush hating UN pool reporter trying to shift blame 'cause it's always somebody else's fault.

[MrCruncher]

troubled young reporter with a history of drug addiction whose aggressive disregard for the rules

The author is describing himself?

Or others on the crew at the sicko Washington Post?

[MrCruncher]

Amazing how FEMININE (catty) the Washington Post crew is.

[D-fendr]

Probably a few more of the fake personas Jason created. He had two or three fakes 'vouch' for him on DailyKos boards. One was an ex-CIA agent.

[Bahbah]

I can only speculate that he either was trying to get a reaction and thought Corallo would be more likely to respond to a conservative-leaning mainstream paper....

The WaPo, conservative leaning. Lauria is just as delusional as Leopold.

[conservative in nyc]

I thought Leopold promised to expose his sources if his Merry Fitzmas story was wrong. What is he waiting for?

[norwaypinesavage]

MSM: "There's nothing wrong with lying and deception, as long it is in pursuit of the truth."

[Boundless]

> ... the supposed Truthout scoop ...

On the bright side, probably most people never heard of
this site until they made a name for themselves by getting
out something way far from the truth.