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David Cay Johnston, with passions in check

By Mark Obbie

We might have every reason to suspect the Times' David Cay Johnston of biased reporting in his coverage of the Wesley Snipes tax-evasion trial in Florida. First, there's his previous book Perfectly Legal, the veteran tax reporter's slam against federal tax policy that lets the super-rich dodge their fair share. Johnston's latest book, the best-seller Free Lunch (on manipulation of policy by corporations and the wealthy), and his complaint about its review in tomorrow's Times, only add to his image as A Man On A Mission. Then there's the video making the rounds, purportedly showing Johnston outside the courthouse yesterday badgering Snipes for a comment. It's a pretty heated exchange -- the kind of thing that makes readers and viewers think we journalists are just a howling bundle of opinions. And yet, I challenge anyone to read Johnston's account of the Snipes verdict and declare it biased. To my eye, it is a straightforward, factual record of Snipes' partial victory. It's informed by Johnston's expertise and historical perspective on "tax deniers" (in my day they were commonly called tax protesters), but not steered by any existing opinions Johnston may have. It is, in short, the work of a professional journalist.

Full post as published by Lawbeat on February 02, 2008 (boomark / email).