Bush administration payment of columnists
Encyclopedia
The Bush administration payment of columnists refers to the payment of public funds to right-wing
media commentators by several U.S. executive departments
under Cabinet
officials to promote various policies of U.S. President
George W. Bush
's administration. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were paid to at least three commentators to promote Bush administration policies.
The payments were revealed on January 7, 2005, in an investigative report by Greg Toppo of USA Today
. USA Today had obtained the information through documents provided by the U.S. Department of Education
after the newspaper had made a Freedom of Information Act request. The documents showed that Armstrong Williams
, a prominent syndicated columnist
and pundit
on CNN
and CNBC
, had received $241,000 of tax money through the Education Department's contract with Ketchum Communications, a public relations
firm. In exchange for the money, Williams promoted the No Child Left Behind initiative and encouraged other journalists and commentators to provide favorable views of the law. Williams admitted that he had received the payments and wrote a column entitled "My Apology," admitting to the charges but writing that he "did not change [his] views just because my PR firm was receiving paid advertising promoting the No Child Left Behind Act." Williams' column was cancelled by the Tribune Company
, which had previously syndicated his work.
A second syndicated columnist, Maggie Gallagher
, was revealed to have also accepted public funds from the Bush administration. An article by Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post
first reported on January 26 that Gallagher had received $41,500 in two federal contracts from the Department of Health and Human Services
for authoring brochures, a magazine article and a report and briefing government employees in support of Bush's marriage initiative, which redirected welfare funds, previously used to reward states for lowering out-of-wedlock child birth rates, to pay for premarital counseling and abstinence education
.
Michael McManus
is the third person to be implicated, in an article by Tom Hamburger of The Los Angeles Times on January 28. It was revealed that McManus, who is a self-described marriage advocate and writes the "Ethics & Religion" column that appears in 50 regional newspapers, was paid through a subcontractor with a consulting firm that does work for the Department of Health and Human Services. The payments were said to be $4,000 plus travel expenses, with an additional $49,000 paid to his organization, Marriage Savers Inc..
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
media commentators by several U.S. executive departments
United States Federal Executive Departments
The United States federal executive departments are among the oldest primary units of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States—the Departments of State, War, and the Treasury all being established within a few weeks of each other in 1789.Federal executive...
under Cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
officials to promote various policies of U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's administration. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were paid to at least three commentators to promote Bush administration policies.
The payments were revealed on January 7, 2005, in an investigative report by Greg Toppo of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. USA Today had obtained the information through documents provided by the U.S. Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
after the newspaper had made a Freedom of Information Act request. The documents showed that Armstrong Williams
Armstrong Williams
Armstrong Williams is an African American political commentator, author of a conservative newspaper column, and host of a daily radio show and a nationally syndicated TV program, called The Right Side with Armstrong Williams. From 2004 to 2007, he co-hosted a daily radio program with Sam...
, a prominent syndicated columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
and pundit
Pundit (politics)
A pundit is someone who offers to mass media his or her opinion or commentary on a particular subject area on which they are knowledgeable. The term has been increasingly applied to popular media personalities...
on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, had received $241,000 of tax money through the Education Department's contract with Ketchum Communications, a public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
firm. In exchange for the money, Williams promoted the No Child Left Behind initiative and encouraged other journalists and commentators to provide favorable views of the law. Williams admitted that he had received the payments and wrote a column entitled "My Apology," admitting to the charges but writing that he "did not change [his] views just because my PR firm was receiving paid advertising promoting the No Child Left Behind Act." Williams' column was cancelled by the Tribune Company
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
, which had previously syndicated his work.
A second syndicated columnist, Maggie Gallagher
Maggie Gallagher
Margaret Gallagher Srivastav , better known by her working name Maggie Gallagher, is an American writer, commentator, and opponent of same-sex marriage. She has written a syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate since 1995, and has published five books...
, was revealed to have also accepted public funds from the Bush administration. An article by Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
first reported on January 26 that Gallagher had received $41,500 in two federal contracts from the Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
for authoring brochures, a magazine article and a report and briefing government employees in support of Bush's marriage initiative, which redirected welfare funds, previously used to reward states for lowering out-of-wedlock child birth rates, to pay for premarital counseling and abstinence education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
.
Michael McManus
Michael McManus (columnist)
Michael McManus is the author of "Ethics & Religion", a socially conservative but economic liberal syndicated opinion column which appears in several small and mid-range US publications. The column, archives of which are linked below, is shaped much like a 'gathering point' of views; quotes from...
is the third person to be implicated, in an article by Tom Hamburger of The Los Angeles Times on January 28. It was revealed that McManus, who is a self-described marriage advocate and writes the "Ethics & Religion" column that appears in 50 regional newspapers, was paid through a subcontractor with a consulting firm that does work for the Department of Health and Human Services. The payments were said to be $4,000 plus travel expenses, with an additional $49,000 paid to his organization, Marriage Savers Inc..
Sources
- Gallagher, Maggie. "A question of disclosure." January 26, 2005. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/maggiegallagher/mg20050126.shtml
- Kurtz, Howard. "Writer backing Bush plan had gotten federal contract." The Washington Post. January 26, 2005. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36545-2005Jan25.html
- Toppo, Greg. "Education Dept. paid commentator to promote law." USA Today. January 7, 2005. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-06-williams-whitehouse_x.htm
- Williams, Armstrong. "My apology." January 10, 2005. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/Armstrongwilliams/aw20050110.shtml