Media reported Weldon conspiracy theories, offered no response from CREW

[NNN0LHI]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200610180020

Print media reported Weldon conspiracy theories, offered no response from CREW

Summary: The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Associated Press have reported Rep. Curt Weldon's statements blaming an FBI investigation of him on Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) but failed to include any response from CREW or point out that the FBI is a division of the U.S. Department of Justice, which is part of the Bush administration and headed by a Bush confidante.

In their recent coverage of the FBI investigation of Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA), The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Associated Press have reported Weldon's statements blaming the influence-trading probe on "the left-wing, liberal attack machine" -- and, specifically, the nonprofit organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) -- but have failed to include any response from CREW.

On October 16, the FBI raided several homes and offices linked to Weldon. The raids came as part of an ongoing investigation into whether he used his position in Congress to improperly steer lucrative contracts to his daughter's lobbying firm. As CNN congressional correspondent Dana Bash reported that day, Weldon quickly cited political motivations for the timing of the investigation and singled out CREW as having intentionally provoked the issue mere weeks before the midterm election. Bash went on to note that CREW complained two and a half years ago about Weldon to the FBI -- a division of the U.S. Department of Justice, which is part of the Bush administration and headed by Bush confidante Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales -- and aired a clip of CREW executive director Melanie Sloan stating that she "can't force the Justice Department to do anything."

From the October 16 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:

BASH: The Pennsylvania Republican, a 20-year veteran of the House, is in a neck-and-neck race to keep his seat. He calls the timing of this -- three weeks before Election Day -- politically motivated, and blames Melanie Sloan, head of a liberal-leaning watchdog group for spurring the issue.