| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Fredric L. Rice" |
| Date: |
29 Jan 2005 12:41:03 AM |
| Object: |
Christian Crook in Payola scam |
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000779345
Third Columnist Implicated with Payola Charges
By E&P Staff
January 27, 2005
NEW YORK
Michael McManus, whose syndicated column, "Ethics & Religion," appears
in 50 newspapers, was hired as a subcontractor by the Department of
Health and Human Services to promote an administration marriage
initiative, according to an article posted yesterday by Salon.com, the
online magazine.
Senior writer Eric Boehlert wrote that Salon had confirmed that
McManus "championed the plan in his columns without disclosing to
readers he was being paid to help it succeed."
This report emerged one day after President Bush ordered his Cabinet
secretaries to stop hiring commentators to help promote administration
initiatives, after revelations surrounding commentators Armstrong
Williams and Maggie Gallagher.
According to Salon, Dr. Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children
and families at HHS, had responded to the latest report by announcing
that HHS would institute a new policy that forbids the agency from
hiring any outside expert or consultant who has any working
affiliation with the media.
"I needed to draw this bright line," Horn told Salon.
"The policy is being implemented and we're moving forward."
McManus could not be reached for comment.
Horn told Salon that McManus was paid approximately $10,000 for his
work as a subcontractor to the Lewin Group, which was hired by HHS to
implement the Community Healthy Marriage Initiative.
McManus provided training during two-day conferences in Chattanooga,
Tenn., and also made presentations at HHS-sponsored conferences.
Horn said he first learned about the payment on Thursday.
"In the wake of the Gallagher story," Boehlert wrote, "he asked his
staff to review all outside contracts and determine if there were any
other columnists being paid by HHS. They informed him about McManus.
Horn says the review for similar contracts continues."
Horn said HHS was not paying Gallagher and McManus to write about Bush
administration initiatives but for their expertise as marriage
advocates.
"We live in a complicated world and people wear many different hats,"
he told Salon.
"People who have expertise might also be writing columns. The line has
become increasingly blurred between who's a member of the media and
who is not. Thirty years ago if you were a columnist, then you were a
full-time employee of a newspaper. Columnists today are different."
In 1996, McManus co-founded Marriage Savers, which, among other
things, asks clergy not to conduct marriage ceremonies unless the
couple has had lengthy counseling first.
---
Stop Elmer Fudd web site: http://www.ElmerFudd.US/
Covert text file server: http://www.notserver.com/
Scientology crooks: http://sf.irk.ru/www/ot3/otiii-gif.html
FRice Antiwar: http://www.skeptictank.org/antiwar.htm
FRice Tree Sit: http://www.skeptictank.org/treesit/treesit.htm
.
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
