The Wall Street Journal told Politico that it didn’t know op-ed writer Elizabeth O’Bagy had an “affiliation with the Syrian Emergency Task Force” and is currently fact checking her op-ed in light of the relationship, Politico reported.
Politico quoted Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Paul Gigot as saying “We are investigating the contents of her op-ed to the best of our ability, but to date we have seen no evidence to suggest any information in the piece was false.”
As iMediaEthics wrote, the Wall Street Journal added clarification to O’Bagy’s August 30 high profile op-ed on Syria to disclose her relationship with the Syrian Emergency Task Force. The Wall Street Journal identified it as “a nonprofit operating as a 501(c)(3) pending IRS approval that subcontracts with the U.S. and British governments to provide aid to the Syrian opposition.” She also has been on numerous TV outlets “to discuss Syria,” Fox News added.
O’Bagy was also fired this week from her position at the Institute for the Study of War for exaggerating her resume, according to Politico. O’Bagy said she had a Ph.D., but she hasn’t received that degree yet.
“O’Bagy told POLITICO in an interview Monday that she had submitted and defended her dissertation and was waiting for Georgetown University to confer her degree,” Politico explained.
In a statement published on its website, the Institute for the Study of War confirmed O’Bagy’s firing. The statement reads:
“The Institute for the Study of War has learned and confirmed that, contrary to her representations, Ms. Elizabeth O’Bagy does not in fact have a Ph.D. degree from Georgetown University. ISW has accordingly terminated Ms. O’Bagy’s employment, effective immediately.”
Politico noted that the Syrian Emergency Task Force and the Institute for the Study of War both previously had identified her with the honorific “Dr.” online.
The institute’s founder Kim Kagan said she had “approved” O’Bagy’s work with the Syrian Task Force, National Review Online added.
iMediaEthics has written to the Institute for the Study of War to ask how it learned of the resume exaggeration. We haven’t been able to find a direct email for O’Bagy.
Hat Tip: Media Gazer
UPDATE: 9/12/2013 1:53 PM EST: The Institute for the Study of War’s Communications & New Media Manager Maggie Obriwin responded to iMediaEthics’ inquiry, pointing us to the institute’s statement on its website about O’Bagy’s firing.