Battle Between Raj and WSJ Continues

Last week, we told you about a letter sent by Raj Rajaratnam’s new PR guy, Jim McCarthy, to Wall Street Journal editor Mike Siconolfi complaining about the paper’s use of anonymous sources in their coverage of Raj. The specific complaint was that the paper used the phrase “a person familiar with the situation” to refer to their source, instead of identifying any inherent biases the source might have.

Well, McCarthy doesn’t seem to have gotten the response he was looking for. In a new letter to deputy managing editor Alix Freeman, released yesterday on Raj's new web site, McCarthy claims Siconolfi scheduled a call to talk about the issue, but wouldn't talk unless the conversation remained under wraps.

Mike kindly scheduled a call earlier this week so that we could discuss the matter, but when that call began he oddly insisted that I agree no aspect of what was said be repeated publicly. Otherwise, he would refuse to talk to me.

I must say I found that posture ironic for a newspaperman, someone who supposedly values transparency and accountability and who demands exactly that from the subjects and sources he speaks with every day. I remain at a loss to understand his rationale and, as for the substance, suffice it to say my questions in the letter remain on the table.

McCarthy clearly believes the government is leaking sensitive information about the case against Raj to WSJ investigative reporter Susan Pulliam and he has also written a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder asking him to look into the leaks. McCarthy's firm, which helped decriminalize Peyote use among American Indians, is known for fighting back against attacks against its clients.