Robert "No Disclosure" Novak strikes again
On August 30, The New York Times revealed that syndicated columnist and CNN Crossfire co-host Robert Novak -- whom the Times called one of the "stoutest defenders of Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry" -- has a conflict of interest in writing and speaking about the book: His son, Alex Novak, is director of marketing for its publisher, Regnery Publishing, Inc. But that isn't the only connection between Novak and Regnery -- there are other connections Novak has not disclosed while discussing the publishing house and its books.
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Novak is a trustee of the Phillips Foundation, along with Thomas L. Phillips and Alfred S. Regnery. Phillips is chairman of Eagle Publishing, Inc., of which Regnery is a subsidiary. Alfred Regnery is a director of Eagle Publishing and, according to Eagle's website, is "president of Regnery Publishing, Inc."
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Eagle publishes the Evans-Novak Political Report, which Novak edits.
According to The New York Times:
In his syndicated columns and on the CNN program "Crossfire," Mr. Novak has lauded the book [Unfit for Command] and referred to veterans who criticize Mr. Kerry -- most notably John E. O'Neill, the book's co-author -- as "real patriots." Unmentioned in Mr. Novak's columns and television appearances, however, is a personal connection he has to the book: his son, Alex Novak, is the director of marketing for its publisher, the conservative publishing house Regnery. In a telephone interview, Robert Novak said he saw no need to disclose the link. "I don't think it's relevant," he said.
Media Matters for America has been unable to determine how long Alex Novak has worked for Regnery, but the elder Novak has discussed Regnery books several times in recent years without disclosing that his son works for the publisher or that he has other ties to the company. Novak has directly mentioned Regnery on a number of recent occasions:
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August 9, 2004 -- Chicago Sun-Times: Novak made favorable mention of Unfit for Command;
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December 17, 2001 -- The Weekly Standard: Novak reviewed a memoir by Caspar W. Weinberger, which was published by Regnery;
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December 25, 2000 -- The Weekly Standard: A Novak article in the Books & Arts section discussed the Regnery-published The Venona Secrets: Exposing Soviet Espionage and America's Traitors;
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March 16, 1998 -- Novak reviewed the Regnery-published Women in the Military: Flirting with Disaster;
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January 1998 -- American Spectator: Novak reviewed the Regnery-published The Secret Life of Bill Clinton: The Unreported Stories;
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May 26, 1997 -- CNN's The Capital Gang: Novak (a weekly panelist) defended "the Regnery Publishing house" from what he called a "hatchet job" by The New Yorker;
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July 4, 1996 -- Chicago Sun-Times: Novak wrote a column about the Regnery-published book Unlimited Access: An FBI Agent Inside the Clinton White House;
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June 25, 1996 -- Chicago Sun-Times: Novak mentioned Unlimited Access;
On Crossfire, Novak has also played host to Regnery authors, giving them a forum to discuss their books, without mentioning either their publisher or his ties to Regnery. Examples include:
May 28, 2001 -- Crossfire: Guest Bill Sammon discussed his Regnery-published At Any Cost: How Al Gore Tried to Steal the Election;
May 7, 1999 -- Crossfire: During Bob Zelnick's appearance on the show, Novak called Zelnick's Regnery-published book Gore: A Political Life a "very good book."
—J.F.
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