The best line from the e-mails:
“You are not actually open-minded to the idea of not writing the story. You are running it regardless. I have information that undercuts your premise, and would provide it if I thought you were able to be convinced that your story is off base. Instead, I think that to provide it to you would just allow you to cover your bases, and factor it into a story you still plan to write. So I prefer to hold onto the information and use it after the fact, with a different outlet that is more objective about whether an OPR inquiry was appropriate.”
Good to see that the ethics office acknowledges that the government has some of the media ready to report its side of the argument at will. And it is good to see that they acknowledge that they will hold back information on the accuracy of information for the sole purpose of using it as a weapon to attack a media group that would have the gall to report on it.
TL;DR: Government to USA Today reporter: get in our pocket and we’ll give you the good bits as long as you don’t embarrass us. Get on our bad side and we’ll call David Gregory.
