AP Finally Covers Air America Scandal

Now There's No Excuse!

AP Correctly Quotes Franken, Unlike NYT


Less than a day after the New York Times botched its Air America scandal coverage with an inaccurate Al Franken quote, along comes the AP, to do it correctly.

Wow, there's a way to kick your weekend off on the right foot!

Apparently, AP felt the need to wait until almost 17 days since the Radio Equalizer's first piece, but hey, better late than never.

Also, releasing the story on a Friday evening, going into a summer weekend does not exactly ensure a lot of coverage.

We'll take it, however, especially since they've embarrassed the New York Times with an actual living example of accurate reporting. Who knew the MSM could do it?

Now, there's no excuse for local newspapers in North Carolina, or anywhere else, since they can lazily rip it off the AP wire at their leisure. What's easier than that?

If your hometown paper doesn't now run it, ask them why and let me know the result.

This, from AP reporter David Caruso's version (emphasis mine):

The network's star, comedian and talk show host Al Franken, addressed the issue briefly on his show Monday. He called Cohen "a crook" and said the network's current managers had discovered the loans through forensic accounting.

"I don't know why they did it and I don't know where the money went. I don't know if it was used for operations, which I imagine it was," Franken said. "I think he was robbing Peter to pay Paul."

He added that he believed the station has a moral obligation to repay the money.

A spokeswoman for Gloria Wise said the center is in "continuing discussions" with Air America on a repayment schedule for the loans.

Now, let's take a trip down memory lane, to Friday's New York Times version:

"I don't know why he did it," Mr. Franken said, according to a transcript of the broadcast made by the Department of Investigation. "I don't know where the money went. I don't know if it was used for operations. I think he was borrowing from Peter to pay Paul."

Mr. Franken also said that the network's new owners "don't legally have to pay it back" - referring to the loans - "because we're a different company or something."

"But morally we do," he said.

So, the AP confirms the Radio Equalizer's transcript version, published here yesterday.

Because some readers suggested to Michelle Malkin the New York Times might have actually had the correct version, Malkin asked for volunteers to review Franken's audio archives, covering the last four days.

The point: the Times omits what may be Franken's most potentially incriminating statement, that diverted taxpayer funds likely went to fund Air America, possibly even his own salary.

That's key, because for over two weeks, company officials and Air America's supporters have taken care to avoid the suggestion that the $875,000 in question reached their account.

We were frequently cautioned in our reporting to be careful about making this suggestion.

The reason: to leave wide open, the possibility former head Evan Cohen might have kept it for himself.

With the AP's correct quote, the issue is taken off the table and the Times needs to correct it.

There's still no explanation as to why a mention of Michelle Malkin's scandal coverage was sliced from later Times versions of the story.

So, what to do about the Times? Malkin's earlier recommendation:

Send your thoughts on the NYTimes' slothful reporting to ombudsman Byron Calame (public@nytimes.com).

Other angles in Caruso's Emmy-deserving story:

NEW YORK -- State and city officials are investigating how $875,000 from a community center in the Bronx wound up in the coffers of Air America, the liberal radio network.

A spokesman for Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said his office has opened a probe into the financial dealings of the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club, which runs programs for poor children and senior citizens and was funded largely by government grants and contracts.


Note this version is clear the money went to Air America, not Cohen himself. That's key to destroying the liberal's "blame it all on a crooked Republican from Guam" angle.

Also, look at this:

A spokeswoman for Gloria Wise said the center is in "continuing discussions" with Air America on a repayment schedule for the loans.

Attempts to locate Evan Cohen were not immediately successful.


Yes, every report seems to have a different version of whether an agreement has been reached, but this is what appears to be closest to the truth.

Time to find Cohen and get his side of the story.

Is there hope for the mainstream media, after all?

There will be many updates here this weekend, we're still researching many new angles.


Update: Malkin doesn't share my enthusiasm about the AP story, see her latest here.

Also, she uncovers what could be another major error in the NYT story: the city Department of Investigation (DOI) says they did not supply a transcript to the paper, nor do they have one. So where did the reporter get it? It didn't match our version, so could it have come from Air America, or did someone else supply it?

Malkin's found something huge here, combined with the misquotes, we have a serious bone to pick with the Times.

Welcome, Powerline readers! Scott alerts me to a new Minneapolis Star-Tribune story, set to run Saturday. We'll be watching for that, as well as another from the Philly Inquirer. The new issue of National Review will have a Byron York piece on Air America, as well.

Keep checking back here, to Michelle Malkin's site, Captain's Quarters, Powerline, LGF, Hugh Hewitt, LaShawn Barber, Instapundit, Wizbang, RedStateRant, AceOfSpades and the many others covering this story.

Franken scandal graphic by Darleen Click, City Kid$ by George Adair, others from Free Republic.

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