Reporters say Miller got 'high six figure' severance; Miller scoops Times

[rawstory]

Jason Leopold

Judith Miller, who retired from the New York Times Wednesday after more than 28 years at the paper, launched a website (www.judithmiller.org) a few weeks ago to respond to the her critics, some of whom include Times staff, who wrote scathing news stories about her cozy relationship with key members of the Bush administration as well as her flawed reporting on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction which laid the groundwork for war.

Miller, who joined the Times Washington bureau in 1977, spent 85 days in jail after refusing to reveal who told her the name of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson. Since her release, reporters say, she had not been cooperative with the paper’s investigation into her role in events surrounding the case.

Four Times reporters told RAW STORY Wednesday that word around the newsroom is that Miller exited the paper with a “high six figure” retirement package. A Times spokeswoman said terms of the Miller’s exit package could not be disclosed.

Miller’s voicemail at the Times makes no mention of her retirement. A message left for her was not returned.

Miller's farewell at link: http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Reporters_say_Miller_got_high_six_1109.html

[Vanje]

1. www.judithmiller.com

is apparently still unregistered.

Opportunity knocks!

[sabra]

2. seems like it is taken?

http://www.whois.sc/judithmiller.com

Registered through: GoDaddy.com
Domain Name: JUDITHMILLER.COM
Created on: 30-Jun-05
Expires on: 30-Jun-06
Last Updated on: 05-Jul-05

[Vanje]

4. Darn it!

I only assumed it was unregistered because it is apparently unused.
There could have been some fun had!

[philarq]

3. Any reasonable organization would have done the same

Just to rid themselves of a pest. In business terms this is officially known as F-You money.

She did have 28 years in, and if she had a contract there may have been terms relating to time at the paper and types of firing. they may have been forced by this to pay her more at 28 years than at 30 if there was some type of retirement vesting going on. Without the paperwork, there is really no way for anyone to know.

I keep thinking of the line "Will no one rid me of this medlesome priest?"

let her go ---Lucianne Goldberg will have her a book deal before the month is out.

[Garbo 2004]

6. Yeah, she did hae them over a barrel. And nothing will stop her from her

self-aggrandizing spin, regardless. Wonder if she'll resurface on Fox or is that just way too low rent for her? MSNBC? CNN? She's ripe for at least pundithood at this point if not full blown intrepid reporter.

[MADem]

20. Her website is nothing more than whiny, poorly rebutted diatribe!

What a loser--Jeff Gannon, with better grammar and punctuation!!!!

[leesa]

19. So if I am a pest after my 28 years my organization will pay me 6 figures

to go away? No. It's not reasonable but it is a part of corporate whoredom.

[philarq]

23. actually yes....

if you salary is in the low 6 figures. ---say she makes $100,000

then a severance deal of 600k is not unreasonable to make the problem go away from the viewpoint of the employer. Remember this is a possible lawsuit in the making that you would end up spending a mil on to defend, therefore making it disappear quickly for 600k is a good deal in my mind---its done now, and not dragged out over a couple of years, and she cant be any more of a martyr.

not corporate whoredom, just common sense.

[Garbo 2004]

5. Ugh rawstory, high six figures? Unfortunately this is entirely believable.

As I recall, Leopold did good reporting on the electricity "crisis" in California. A complex but vital story that did not receive enough attention at the time.

So Miller walks off with a bonanza and with her martyr complex/spin, despite her claims to the contrary,intact. Ick.

[joemurphy]

7. My guess is she'll now become a "pundit" and we'll be

seeing her on Fox News. That, or she'll get a radio show like Ollie North or G. Gordon Liddy. I can hardly wait.

[LookManLook]

8. The cons take good care of their own

We tend to eat our young alive.

[AlamoDemoc]

9. Gimme a break!

Of most of what Judith reported about lies she's being rewarded? she should be fired and without journalistic remorse by the editorships should be in Iraq by way of Abu Gharib

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

10. Would you lie for a half-million+ $?

:shrug:

Judy goes philosophical.

[gulfcoastliberal]

11. If you've read Steve Gilliard you know what she did.

Judge for yerself.

http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2004/05/understanding-judy-miller-learning-to.html

[Punkingal]

12. She is going to be on Larry King

Thursday for the full hour. Too bad he can't put her on for 20 minutes, then have a panel to come on and trash her for the rest of the time like he did with Rather's producer.

[fishnfla]

13. The truth is free. You pay blood money for lies

30 pieces of silver. 2054 American deaths, Tens of thousands dead Iraqi's, untold billions and billions from the US treasury.

For a war based on her pedaling lies, her shitless reporting.

Pay her what she wants-it wont dry-clean her conscience

[kurth]

14. Whores have no conscience

[jobycom]

15. They've fired others in recent years for printing false stories, but for

Judith Miller, they gave her a severance check of hundreds of thousands of dollars? I'm sure her contract had some type of quality of work clause.

They didn't pay her severance pay, they paid her hush money, to keep Judith from badmouthing them so they wouldn't have to deal with petulant Republicans. And that's exactly why they are no longer a reliable source of news.

Now the real question is, how can I betray my government and risk the lives of millions of Americans so that I can get half a million dollars from someone?

[Voltaire99]

16. Even in disgrace, US media elite keep raking it in.

Meanwhile, the Times is laying off 500 people. Readership is down, profits this year are down (by half!), and yet down floats Judy with her golden parachute.

[Warren Stupidity]

17. Yeah, same deal as Jayson Blair.

:sarcasm:

[cassiepriam]

18. Crime pays. But blood money is bad bad karma.

[daleo]

21. Another one, paid handsomely for her failure.

We will be treated to her on the right-wing news shows soon. I am sure she will be in steady rotation. She will give right wing viewers breathless accounts of her war heroism, witnessing of torture (fraternity pranks), etc.

I think it will be quite nauseating.

[Bacchus39]

22. when does her book come out??

n/t