Politico corrects story regarding Wiles’s role in Zacharia-FOX interview, after White House warning

Politico published a correction to its article claiming White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles played a direct role in booking the Fox interview with former press secretary Katie Zacharia, after the White House threatened “consequences” for the story. A statement at the top of the Oct. 16 article now states that the publication had “mischaracterized the role White House chief of staff Susie Wiles played in then-press secretary Katie Zacharia’s interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News. POLITICO’s follow-up reporting indicates she did not play a direct role in setting up the interview.” 
The original story had implied that Wiles orchestrated the disastrous interview, which was a factor in Zacharia’s removal from the position after only five days on the job. Politico reported that one of it sources had called Wiles’ alleged role in booking the interview a “sanctioned hit.” 
William O. Scharf, counsel to the president, sent a letter Thursday to Jonathan Green, Politico’s global editor-in-chief, demanding that Politico retracts the articles and offer apologies for what it called “demonstrably false and defamatory” allegations. 
The New York Post reported that text messages showed that it was Zacharia who pushed for television appearances. 
The New York Post also reports that it obtained a letter from Politico outside counsel Theodore Boustrous responding to Scharf’s letter, in which he writes, “Politico categorically rejects the false accusations in your letter that it ‘chose to publish fanciful fiction’ and ‘purposeful falsehoods designed to mislead the public. … That said, Politico takes seriously assertions like those made in your letter.
“As a result, Politico determined it was appropriate to correct one of the three articles identified in your letter.” 

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