The White House went to war with Politico this week over its reporting on Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and the outlet has now issued a correction to one of the stories in question, according to Fox News Digital.
The demand letter
In a letter sent Monday to Politico global editor-in-chief Jonathan Greenberger, first reported by Axios and obtained by Fox News Digital, White House counsel William Scharf blasted three articles about Wiles as “demonstrably false and defamatory.” Among the claims he targeted: reports that President Trump was mulling Wiles’ ouster and that he had a “freak-out” when Politico published its story.
“These publications reflect far more than sloppy reporting or an unfortunate, inadvertent reliance on unreliable sources,” Scharf wrote. He said the White House had provided on-the-record refutations from senior officials, from the President himself, and documentary evidence showing the central claims were false.
“This is not a question of competing interpretations, editorial judgment, or political disagreement,” Scharf continued. “I therefore demand that Politico retract these defamatory articles and issue corrections promptly, or face the consequences.”
Scharf gave the outlet 48 hours to correct or retract the stories, issue a public apology to the President and to Wiles, and remove the reporting from its archives. Otherwise, he warned, the White House would launch “an immediate review of Politico’s relationship with the White House” and consider “all other appropriate and available legal remedies.”
“Freedom of the press is not a professional exemption from accountability,” Scharf wrote.
Politico blinks, partly
Politico’s attorney responded Wednesday, saying the outlet “categorically rejects” the accusation that it published “fanciful fiction.” But the letter also said Politico re-examined all three articles, did follow-up reporting, and “determined it was appropriate to correct one of the three articles.”
The corrected story now says Wiles simply offered “positive reinforcement” for then-White House press secretary Katie Zacharia’s appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” last week, and did not play a direct role in booking the interview.
Politico did not apologize to President Trump or Wiles, and it did not correct its report that the President was considering moving on from his chief of staff. Its attorney accused the White House of “unconstitutional retaliation” and vowed to defend the outlet’s journalism.
White House: “Politico should be embarrassed”
The White House said the correction doesn’t go nearly far enough.
“Politico should apologize to its dwindling readership for knowingly publishing lies,” White House spokesperson Danielle Alvarez told Fox News Digital. “The facts are indisputable: the Chief of Staff had absolutely nothing to do with booking or authorizing any interview. Politico’s reckless disregard for the truth is a disgrace to journalism.”
“At this point, the question isn’t whether Politico got the facts wrong, it’s why its editors continue to publish claims they know are false,” Alvarez added. “Politico should be embarrassed.”
The fight is the latest chapter in a running battle between the administration and Politico, which was among the outlets the White House banned last month before a judge’s ruling reversed the ban.
Source: Fox News Digital reporting.