Liberal Outlet Caught In Major Scandal After ‘Unethical’ Hit Piece Gets Rapidly Debunked
ProPublica, a prominent nonprofit investigative news organization, is under fire after an unpublished story regarding Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth was rapidly debunked earlier this week. The controversy began when Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army veteran, publicly preempted ProPublica’s reporting with a statement on social media.
In his post, Hegseth claimed the outlet planned to publish a “knowingly false” story alleging he was not accepted into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1999. “Here’s my letter of acceptance signed by West Point Superintendent, Lieutenant General Daniel Christman, US Army,” Hegseth wrote, sharing an image of the official document. The accusation quickly gained traction online, leading to a firestorm of criticism directed at ProPublica.
In response, Jesse Eisinger, a senior editor at ProPublica, attempted to clarify the situation on X (formerly Twitter), stating the story had not been published. Eisinger revealed that West Point’s public affairs office had provided information on record suggesting Hegseth had not applied or been accepted. However, after Hegseth’s team provided evidence of his acceptance, ProPublica halted the story.
“We asked West Pt public affairs, which told us twice on the record that he hadn’t even applied there,” Eisinger wrote. “We reached out. Hegseth’s spox gave us his acceptance letter. We didn’t publish a story. That’s journalism.”
Hegseth has said that he got into West Point but didn’t attend.
We asked West Pt public affairs, which told us twice on the record that he hadn’t even applied there.
We reached out. Hegseth’s spox gave us his acceptance letter.
We didn’t publish a story.
That’s journalism.
— Jesse Eisinger (@eisingerj) December 11, 2024
The explanation did little to quell backlash from conservatives and supporters of Hegseth. Prominent figures, including Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK), criticized both ProPublica and West Point for what Cotton described as “potentially violating federal privacy laws,” according to letters obtained by The New York Post. The Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits federal agencies from disclosing personal records without consent, raising questions about how West Point’s public affairs office handled the matter.
Hegseth’s attorney, Tim Parlatore, echoed similar sentiments, demanding accountability for the unethical reporting process. “Not only did Mr. Hegseth apply, but he was accepted as a prospective member of the class of 2003,” Parlatore wrote. “The use of false statements to influence or damage a political nominee’s reputation is particularly concerning, as it may interfere with the democratic process and the fair consideration of candidate for public office.”
Concerns about the integrity of ProPublica’s journalism grew after the Daily Caller exposed an email from ProPublica reporter Justin Elliott to Pete Hegseth’s attorney, indicating an impossible deadline for responding to allegations. Elliott’s email demanded a reply within an hour regarding claims that Hegseth never attended West Point. This came to light through additional materials the Daily Caller claims to have obtained, including emails and purported phone transcripts, suggesting ProPublica might not have adhered to this standard themselves in their reporting on Hegseth.
The email from Elliott to Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, specifically stated, “I’m reaching out with an urgent request for comment for your client Pete Hegseth. We’re moving quickly so please let me know if you or he would like to comment as soon as possible. Our deadline is in one hour.”