The New York Times published a damaging feature about its own reporter, revealing new details of Ali Watkins’ affair with former Senate Intelligence Committee aide James A. Wolfe in addition to the bombshell that she dated another Intelligence Committee staffer.
Earlier this month, a shock indictment revealed that prior to joining the Times, Watkins, 26, had a three-year romantic relationship with Wolfe, 58, who was accused by federal prosecutors of lying about leaks of sensitive information to journalists. The indictment strongly suggested he was a source for Watkins and others, though Watkins reportedly has denied using her relationship for scoops.
The New York Times has since announced it is investigating Watkins’ conduct. But, in the meantime, it published a scathing report that strongly implies Watkins rose to journalistic fame while using her married boyfriend as a source.
The Times report hit the web Sunday night headlined, “How an Affair Between a Reporter and a Security Aide Has Rattled Washington Media,” and featured interviews with roughly 36 “friends and colleagues” of the scandalous former couple. Watkins carried on a three-year relationship with Wolfe, who is 30 years her senior and has been overseeing classified information delivered by the CIA and FBI since “before Watkins was born,” as the paper points out.
“Avoiding conflicts of interest is a basic tenet of journalism, and intimate involvement with a source is considered verboten,” the Times reported while strongly implying Watkins used Wolfe as a source. But the shocking Times report also reveals that Watkins dated another staff member at the committee after her relationship with Wolfe concluded.
Some observers say the Times is now in a very difficult place, as the Gray Lady can’t separate from Watkins without appearing sexist, but its own reporting strongly indicates she used romantic relationships to land sensitive information used in her reporting.
It now appears that Watkins, who has covered national security for McClatchy, HuffPost, BuzzFeed, Politico and The New York Times had intimate involvement with at least two potential sources. The Times even noted that Watkins once told friends she “wanted off the beat,” but “her editors were eager for scoops.”– READ MORE
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