For 8 Years, A 'Wall Street Journal' Story Haunted His Career. Now He Wants It Fixed

Dustin · Sep 7, 2021

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/07/1027130578/for-8-years-a-wall-street-journal-story-haunted-his-career-now-he-wants-it-fixed

Effectively, the WSJ article (https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323398204578485411420518702:
Former Education Official Faces Federal Investigation) notes that he was under investigation. That investigation ultimately revealed the claims were unfounded. But WSJ refuses to issue any kind of update, re-reporting or correction. And his critics continue to cite the investigation as reason to believe he is culpable or guilty of something.

He was exonerated twice, except for breaching an internal White House policy:

The Education Department's inspector general posted its report in June 2012. It determined that sensitive material had been handled appropriately and that there had been no disclosures of key information that was not yet public to interested parties. And the audit also found no problematic leaks ahead of the policy's announcements that could have helped Eisman or others with a financial interest in the specifics.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was brought in to look at Shireman's and his colleagues' potential financial stakes. No education official, including Shireman, was found to have owned any investments aided by the policy, according to the inspector general's later report.

The inspector general also investigated the ostensibly illegal benefits Shireman received, at the behest of the late Republican Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming. The report found Shireman received about $23 worth of life insurance benefits to which he was not entitled. But because Shireman overpaid premiums by more than $45, the government ultimately sent him a two-figure check covering the difference.

That report did find, however, that Shireman had emailed six times with people from his previous employer, the policy institute. The fact that those emails occurred was potentially in violation of an Obama administration ethics pledge for executive branch officials to not participate in matters directly involving former employers.
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Do journalists have a responsibility to follow up when their stories take on a life of their own, or are used in ways they didn't intend?

SteveFoerster · Sep 7, 2021

Interesting. As inconvenient as this would be, if all he wants is a correction, I wonder whether he should sue for libel, then tell them he'll drop the suit with prejudice if they'll issue one.

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For 8 Years, A 'Wall Street Journal' Story Haunted His Career. Now He Wants It Fixed

Dustin Well-Known Member

SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

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For 8 Years, A 'Wall Street Journal' Story Haunted His Career. Now He Wants It Fixed

Dustin Well-Known Member

SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

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