Wash. Post To Investigate Unethicalflier-gate -- Fully

This scandal is actually bigger than Watergate

By JIM NEWELL

Updated 7:17 AM EST, Tue, Jul 7, 2009

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The Washington Post has always been for sale, but never like this: Paper has a new program to help lobbyists meet D.C.'s movers and shakers.

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Last week, the broke Washington Post Co. was caught circulating a hilarious flier to organizations throughout D.C. advertising private "salons" to be held at the home of Post publisher Katharine Weymouth, for $25,000 a pop.

The confirmed guests at these salons included members of Congress, Obama administration officials and Post reporters. Whatever the intent, this came across as, "Hey lobbyists, pay us $25,000 and you can talk to powerful people (with secret information) in the soundproof sun room of our publisher's mansion."

So Weymouth cancelled the salons entirely, and her newspaper reported that it was all some marketing executive's fault for making and circulating a dumb flier without telling anyone. Case closed?

NEVER. In Sunday's Post, Weymouth penned a "Letter to Our Readers," most of whom probably had no idea that any wacky, unethical fliers were being passed around at all. In this column, Weymouth again claimed that it was all some big misunderstanding, that this one nut simply wrote a bad flier. But she also assumes full responsibility, vaguely!

But let me be clear: The flier was not the only problem. Our mistake was to suggest that we would hold and participate in an off-the-record dinner with journalists and power brokers paid for by a sponsor. We will not organize such events.

She doesn't really expand on how she, independent of the bad flier, made a "mistake" by "suggest[ing]" that her paper was doing evil, illicit things. But she does go on to, well, blame the bad flier again!

And on Monday, Weymouth continued to say very vague ethical-sounding things, this time in a scary scary memo to Post staff:

All:

I hope you had a chance to read my letter in Sunday’s paper. I wanted to let you know that I’ve asked Eric Lieberman, our General Counsel, to review recent events to make sure that our business processes are consistent with, and will not in any way compromise, our journalism. Simultaneously, I've asked Marcus and Milton Coleman to codify parameters for Post newsroom participation in live events. As we continue to pursue new and promising lines of business, these measures should help us conduct our business activities effectively and appropriately.

Katharine

Lawyer investigations! "Codify parameters!" Katharine... it's not that big of a deal.

Jim Newell writes for Wonkette and IvyGate.