Comments on: A Tale of Two Recanters and their Friend, L.A. Times “Investigative” Reporter Chuck Philips: Part One [By Guest Blogger WLS] http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/ Harangues that just make sense Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:14:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: WLS http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329901 WLS Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:21:33 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329901 gchibi -- re the question of Philips being on the take, I'll simply refer you to this http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=CE42C9D5-7CF9-42A7-A9DA-30CA7B75D314 by Jan Golab in FrontPageMagazine from December 2005. Here's one quote from that story: "Chuck Philips, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his music business reporting in 1999, has covered Death Row Records since the early ‘90’s. He has long been known for obtaining scoops and exclusive interviews for The Times due to his unmatched access to Suge Knight. Some critics have characterized him as Suge’s apologist and as a reporter corrupted by access. Others speculate there may be more to it than that. One key witness at the Biggie civil trial, Death Row insider Kevin Hackie, who identified David Mack as attending Death Row functions, also stated in a pre-trial deposition that “Chuck Philips was frequently at Death Row functions and received payments from Death Row Records.” Hackie backed off of this statement at trial, but he also tried to back away from everything he had told investigators, stating, convincingly, that “I’m in fear for my life.” Asked what he feared, Hackie stated: “Retribution by the Bloods, the Los Angeles Police Department and associates of Death Row Records.” gchibi — re the question of Philips being on the take, I’ll simply refer you to this

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=CE42C9D5-7CF9-42A7-A9DA-30CA7B75D314

by Jan Golab in FrontPageMagazine from December 2005. Here’s one quote from that story:

“Chuck Philips, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his music business reporting in 1999, has covered Death Row Records since the early ‘90’s. He has long been known for obtaining scoops and exclusive interviews for The Times due to his unmatched access to Suge Knight. Some critics have characterized him as Suge’s apologist and as a reporter corrupted by access. Others speculate there may be more to it than that. One key witness at the Biggie civil trial, Death Row insider Kevin Hackie, who identified David Mack as attending Death Row functions, also stated in a pre-trial deposition that “Chuck Philips was frequently at Death Row functions and received payments from Death Row Records.” Hackie backed off of this statement at trial, but he also tried to back away from everything he had told investigators, stating, convincingly, that “I’m in fear for my life.” Asked what he feared, Hackie stated: “Retribution by the Bloods, the Los Angeles Police Department and associates of Death Row Records.”

]]> By: WLS http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329900 WLS Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:15:21 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329900 Chris -- Its juvenile when it all begins as school-yard taunts and bullying. They all act like a bunch of 12 year olds afraid to be looked at as "weak" if they don't respond to what they deem to be someone else disrespecting them. That fact that it ends up in gun play doesn't mean it was any less juvenile in the way it got started. Chris — Its juvenile when it all begins as school-yard taunts and bullying. They all act like a bunch of 12 year olds afraid to be looked at as “weak” if they don’t respond to what they deem to be someone else disrespecting them. That fact that it ends up in gun play doesn’t mean it was any less juvenile in the way it got started.

]]> By: LarryD http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329896 LarryD Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:55:08 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329896 I remind readers of how CNN was compromised by Saddam, just by his allowing them access. Having access to insider information might be enough. I remind readers of how CNN was compromised by Saddam, just by his allowing them access. Having access to insider information might be enough.

]]> By: Chris http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329890 Chris Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:21:29 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329890 While we can all debate the merits of the feud, I don't think "juvenile" is an appropriate word choice. As evidenced by the end result (two murders), the feud was hardly "juvenile". The beef between Biggie and 2Pac began after 2Pac claimed he slept with Biggie's wife. It escalated from there based on back-and-forth battle raps and an over-eager hip-hop media. Not exactly Montague/Capulet stuff, I realize. But neither was the Alexander Hamilton/Aaron Burr feud. While we can all debate the merits of the feud, I don’t think “juvenile” is an appropriate word choice. As evidenced by the end result (two murders), the feud was hardly “juvenile”. The beef between Biggie and 2Pac began after 2Pac claimed he slept with Biggie’s wife. It escalated from there based on back-and-forth battle raps and an over-eager hip-hop media. Not exactly Montague/Capulet stuff, I realize. But neither was the Alexander Hamilton/Aaron Burr feud.

]]> By: gchibi http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329887 gchibi Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:15:23 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329887 Re your question on Chuck Philips taking payoffs, that's just so off base it isn't even funny. This was a case of a serious person who was victimized by a con man because he had a theory of the case he was reluctant to let go of and an institutional situation in which the checks and balances that had been there before had been decimated in the name of making a budget. Philips has always been an aggressive reporter -- he just used to have layers of editors over him to force him to question his premises. Funny, but this is the sort of situation that seems to happen to overzealous prosecutors -- with far more damaging consequences -- all the time... Re your question on Chuck Philips taking payoffs, that’s just so off base it isn’t even funny. This was a case of a serious person who was victimized by a con man because he had a theory of the case he was reluctant to let go of and an institutional situation in which the checks and balances that had been there before had been decimated in the name of making a budget. Philips has always been an aggressive reporter — he just used to have layers of editors over him to force him to question his premises. Funny, but this is the sort of situation that seems to happen to overzealous prosecutors — with far more damaging consequences — all the time…

]]> By: wls http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329834 wls Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:31:30 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329834 Miss H. -- there is another article published around the time of the long Rolling Stone article that goes over allegations that Philips has been the beneficiary of various forms of inducement from Knight and others at Death Row Records. There is not doubt that Philips has broken an extraordinary number of stories based on sources within the music industry, yet he continues to treat Death Row with a tender touch. You can put two and two together, but as of now there is no hard evidence that he has been compromised financially by Knight or Death Row. Miss H. — there is another article published around the time of the long Rolling Stone article that goes over allegations that Philips has been the beneficiary of various forms of inducement from Knight and others at Death Row Records. There is not doubt that Philips has broken an extraordinary number of stories based on sources within the music industry, yet he continues to treat Death Row with a tender touch. You can put two and two together, but as of now there is no hard evidence that he has been compromised financially by Knight or Death Row.

]]> By: Miss Havisham http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329829 Miss Havisham Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:09:28 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/03/27/a-tale-of-two-recanters-and-their-friend-la-times-%e2%80%9cinvestigative%e2%80%9d-reporter-chuck-philips-part-one-by-guest-blogger-wls/#comment-329829 Excellent, WLS. Is there any truth to to the reports that Mr. Phillips was on theaccepted payments (juice) from Death Row? Excellent, WLS. Is there any truth to to the reports that Mr. Phillips was on theaccepted payments (juice) from Death Row?

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