Another US Journalist Admits Taking Bribes for Favorable News Stories

Columnist Doug Bandow resigned on Thursday after admitting that he had accepted payments from indicted GOP lobbyist and Republican fundraiser Jack Abramoff for writing articles favorable to his clients. Bandow now admits that he’s been on the take since the 90’s often receiving $2000 per column.

Abramoff also paid Peter Ferrara, a senior policy adviser at the conservative Institute for Policy Innovation who had a high profile in the recent Social Security debate. Ferrara now admits to taking money from Abramoff to write op-ed pieces boosting the lobbyist's clients. More on this item here and here.

Earlier journalists Armstrong Williams and Maggie Gallagher were caught being paid by the Bush Administration to write and broadcast reports favorable to the administration. Also the White House allowed a fake reporter (and part-time gay prostitute), James Dale Guckert, using a fake name (Jeff Gannon) and working for what turns out to be a fake news outlet (a front for special interest group) free range of the White House including asking the President leading and planted questions at press conferences. I’ve lost count how many US journalists have admitted to being on the take. The scary part is that the ones that have been outed so far say that it is far more common than the public could possibly imagine. One reporter said that this is just the tip of the iceberg. We in the US have the best press money can buy!