Barstow went so far as to make a surprise visit to the source’s residence that left the source “freaked out.” Materials the source gave to Barstow have still not been returned despite a demand by lawyers, according to the people familiar with the matter.
Barstow told The Daily Beast he considered leaving the Times in order to write the book, but strenuously denied he did anything wrong. In a statement, Baquet said such a ghostwriting gig was “unacceptable” but that Barstow did not violate the paper’s ethics guidelines because the plan was ultimately scuttled.
Former Times editors, however, were shocked by the chain of events.
“I’m astonished at the idea that any reporter involved in a sensitive investigative project for an organization like the New York Times would attempt to go separately to sources and try and profit from them,” said Clark Hoyt, who served as public editor from 2007 to 2010.
Barstow told The Daily Beast he considered leaving the Times in order to write the book, but strenuously denied he did anything wrong. In a statement, Baquet said such a ghostwriting gig was “unacceptable” but that Barstow did not violate the paper’s ethics guidelines because the plan was ultimately scuttled.
Former Times editors, however, were shocked by the chain of events.
“I’m astonished at the idea that any reporter involved in a sensitive investigative project for an organization like the New York Times would attempt to go separately to sources and try and profit from them,” said Clark Hoyt, who served as public editor from 2007 to 2010.
New York Times’ Trump Tax Team Imploded When Star Reporter David Barstow Went Rogue
David Barstow tried to ghostwrite a book with a top-secret source on the Pulitzer-winning story.
www.thedailybeast.com