Just a few short days ago we wrote about James Wolfe’s indictment. He had been the Senate Intelligence Committee Security Director for years and was found to have lied about his interactions with multiple reporters, including Ali Watkins whom he had a relationship with.

The indictment, which you can read here, is quite damming against Wolfe. But it ALSO taints what little credibility the media had left. For example, Buzzfeed and Politico KNEW that Ali Watkins was in a relationship with James Wolfe.  As noted here, it’s very evident that Wolfe helped Watkins break the April 3rd 2017 story regarding Carter Page.

Buzzfeed tried to tap dance around the question.

BuzzFeed Editor-In-Chief Ben Smith said he would “not comment at all on a reporter’s sources in the middle of an unjustifiable leak hunt” when The Daily Caller News Foundation asked about the extent the organization knew about Watkins’ behavior to corroborate The Times’ reporting.

“I am baffled that the FBI and Justice Department are going to these dangerous lengths over a story that points to public court documents that describe Russian spies approaching a Trump adviser, who himself is quoted confirming his role in the episode. I’d like to know why that should be secret,” Smith added.

Problem is, others at Buzzfeed confirmed they were very aware of the relationship between Watkins and Wolfe.

Did the New York Times know? That is not clear. What we DO know is Watkins knew in February that the FBI was investigating Wolfe and her, but she kept it a secret from her bosses at the Times.

Here’s the thing, Wolfe lied to investigators and was caught. How much Top Secret classified information was leaked through him is as of yet unknown, but he DID leak and that is a national security issue that must be dealt with.

Ali Watkins broke a cardinal rule of journalism. She slept with her source…for FIVE YEARS. Her rise from intern to major political and national security reporter with the NY Times happened during that time.

Unfortunately, too many in the media are glossing over that and instead lamenting the fact that she was investigated and her records seized.

While you're defending Ali Watkins, also consider that a Senate Intel staffer led a targeted leak campaign against Carter Page even though he's not been accused of a crime. https://t.co/jGgjvxffe5 @dailycaller

— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) June 8, 2018

Some are trying to infer that Wolfe was a whistleblower. Yes, I know, that’s extremely laughable ..but you know..TRUMP! or something. Meanwhile others are trying to pass off the relationship as ‘poor judgement’ and the FBI is being MEAN!

What does Ali have to say for herself? We don’t know at this juncture. However, tweets of hers from the last few years are NOT aging well.

The SSCI read is, Trumpster lawyers will leak info about upcoming appearances, blame the committee, then use as a pretext not to cooperate.

— Ali Watkins (@AliWatkins) September 19, 2017

This tweet is especially problematic given that she started her relationship with Wolfe just a few months later.

I wanted to be Zoe Barnes…until episode 4. Sleeping with your source- especially a vindictive congressman? #badlifechoice #HouseofCards

— Ali Watkins (@AliWatkins) April 2, 2013

Michael Goodwin writes about the Rosenthal standard, which involves a similar case.

Soon after a woman who had covered politics in Philadelphia was hired by the Times, a story from Philly said she had a secret affair with a politician she covered and accepted expensive gifts from him.

Rosenthal asked the woman if the story was true and, when she replied yes, immediately told her to clean out her desk and said she would never again work for the paper.

Word of the incident spread quickly through the newsroom, and several female reporters complained to Rosenthal. They argued that the woman was treated unfairlyand, at which point, Abe raised his finger for silence and said something to this effect: “I don’t care if you f–k an elephant on your personal time, but then you can’t cover the circus for the paper.”

Ali Watkins bedded down with the elephant and used information provided to not only cover the circus but to advance her career.

As Monica Showalter points out, ‘lovebird journalism’ is journalism that has devolved into anti-Trump stories based solely on anonymous scoops.

Ali Watkins threw the Rosenthal standard out the window in favor of ‘lovebird journalism.’ She has only herself to blame for destroying her own credibility let alone what little credibility the media has left.