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The WA Post needs to come up to Albany, NY to learn how to make money. In May 2007 the Albany Times Union ran a front page article written by a group of journalism interns regarding an audit report by New York state employees which claimed that Verizon was trying to be reimbursed for $230 million IN Federal monies that they were not entitled to. The reimbursement was related to the 9/11/01 terrorist attack on NYC. The report by the auditors was obtained through a FOI request.
Sometime later, an editor, Rex something or other, wrote an editorial where he stated that he had met with the Verizon representatives (code for lobbyists) and everything looked OK. Nary a word in the paper since. Incidentally though Rex met with the Verizon people there is no mention anywhere that he met with the State Auditors. LESSON: DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE PEOPLE WHO CONTROL THE MONEY AND DON'T SELL YOURSELF CHEAP. The Hearst organization (who at the time owned one of the two newspapers in town) is really good at this type of operation. A Hearst representative made a deal with Willie Brown, then Mayor of San Fransico, to endorse him (but only on the editorial pages /S) if he would not contest the Hearst organization taking over the other paper in town.