Armstrong Williams dropped by syndication company over $240,000 payment from Education Department

Jet, Jan 31, 2005

Noted conservative columnist Armstrong Williams was recently dropped by a major syndication service because he accepted a payment from the Bush administration to promote the No Child Left Behind law to fellow Blacks and to give Education Secretary Rod Paige media time. Williams acknowledged that a company he runs was paid $240,000 by the Education Department, and he called criticism of his relationship with the department "legitimate."

"Even though I'm not a journalist--I'm a commentator--I feel I should be held to the media ethics standard," Williams said. "My judgment was not the best. I wouldn't do it again, and I learned from it."

Tribune Media Services said it told Williams that it was stopping the distribution of his weekly newspaper column.

The company, a subsidiary of the Chicago-based Tribune Co., said it accepted Williams' explanation that the payment was for advertising on his radio and televisions programs.

"Nevertheless, accepting compensation in any form from an entity that serves as a subject of his weekly newspaper columns creates, at the very least, the appearance of a conflict of interest. Under these circumstances, readers may well ask themselves if the views expressed in his columns are his own, or whether they have been purchased by a third party," a statement said.

A contract required Williams' company, the Graham Williams Group, to produce radio and TV spots featuring one-minute "reads" by Education Secretary Rod Paige and to allow Paige and other department officials to appear as studio guests with Williams.

Williams also was to use his influence with other Black journalists to get them to discuss No Child Left Behind, a part of President Bush's domestic agenda, which aims to raise achievement among poor and minority children. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the decisions on the practice were made by the Education Department.

He did not directly answer when asked whether the White House approved of the practice, saying it was a department matter.