A Media Mess

A Media Mess

UPDATE II: Josh Marshall on why the bad reporting on Reid-Abramoff-Marianas by the AP matters.

UPDATE: “”These contacts were incidental, insofar as I simply bumped into Reid staffers at Democratic Party functions or occurred incidental to discussions regarding my clients, not Abramoff's,” Platt said. “Any contacts that I may have had in regard to Abramoff's tribal clients would have been similarly incidental.” LA Times

Media menage a trois, anyone?

I'm the moderator over at Open
Letter to the Washington Post, the brainchild of some powerful progressive
bloggers. If you haven't checked it out yet you simply must today, because there's
a dirty little link at the top that is a must click. More media cross… er…
sexual slapdashery, starting at a reporter at the Washington
Post to the Washingtonian to a former Tom Delay staffer, not necessarily
in that order or paired in that way, but it's still a media menage a trois…
or maybe a menage a quatre?

This brings us to the abysmal story put out by John
Solomon in the Washington Post, which has been rebutted across the progressive blogosphere. The
statement below is Ron Platt's response on Reid's involvement.

This statement responds to the article dated, February
9, 2006, by John Solomon of the AP attempting to create a link between Jack
Abramoff and Senator Harry Reid (D. Nev.).

The allegations and implications in Mr. Solomon’s
story are false, which he would have understood had he bothered to contact
me prior to publication. Rather than discuss these issues with me, Mr. Solomon apparently relied on
Jack Abramoff’s billing records to his clients that have already been
legally determined to be fraudulent. Though I do not have access to these
bills, I believe that the references in the AP story to my time are inaccurate.

Moreover, Mr. Solomon’s article distorts the
context of my “contacts,” with Senator Reid’s staff. These
contacts were incidental, insofar as I simply bumped into Reid staffers at
Democratic Party functions or occurred incidental to discussions regarding
my clients, not Abramoff’s. Any contacts that I may have had in regards
to Abramoff’s tribal clients would have been similarly incidental. In
addition, I have no recollection of ever discussing contributions or fundraising
issues with Senator Reid, Susan McCue or Jim Ryan as implied by Mr. Solomon’s
story.

When Abramoff first arrived at Greenberg Traurig, I
did a new colleague a favor by simply asking Reid staffers about when the
minimum wage legislation affecting the Mariana Islands would be voted upon
by the Senate. I communicated this to Abramoff. At no time, did I ever lobby
or advocate on this issue or for this Abramoff client. The reason for this
is quite simple‹Senator Reid, throughout his public career, has been
a strong advocate of a fair and decent minimum wage for all Americans. I was
fully aware of his strong support for and sponsorship of Senator Kennedy’s
bill to ensure that the Marianas Islands would not be exempted from the minimum
wage laws applicable to all other American citizens. Therefore, at no time
did I ever discuss the substance of this issue with Senator Reid or his office.

Nor did I ever ask that the bill be delayed. I only
asked about the timing of when the bill would come to the Senate floor. This
inquiry was routine.

Mr. Solomon’s story also seems to cast suspicion
on my contributions to Senator Reid’s campaigns. Again, this is a gross
distortion. I have been supporting and contributing to Harry Reid for over
twenty years. My support and contributions are based solely on my belief that
he is an exemplary public official whose values and ideals I share.

Clarification made to the above post.