Journalistic Fraud - Timothy L. O'Brien

The New York Times scandal - 2003

"It is rarely a good idea in a news story for the subject and the reporter to be the same person." Richard Tofel (The Wall Street Journal)

I note with sorrow that your Tim O'Brien was correct when he boasted that "access to the the Times pages to settle personal scores was a fringe benefit available to NYT reporters." Open letter to the Editors of the New York Times

What started as a scoop for Times reporter Tim O'Brien became an obsession... O'Brien can become emotional in the pursuit of a story and he had clearly become obsessed with Zeltser (New York Magazine)

"The real dirt in the Bank of New York story isn't only its subject - the Russian mafia - but the strive between a reporter and his source." (Brill's Content)

Timothy O'Brien, who opened the "Russiangate" hysteria in August of last year and then "raised doubts" about his source in January of this year, now, more vigorously than anyone else predicts new scandalous revelations. It is as though he is trying to buy forgiveness for his sin." (Moscow News)

FROM RUSSIAN MONEY LAUNDERING TO RUSSIAN BORSCHT: O'Brien, once Times' business reporter debuts in Restaurant Reviews. Frustrated with the Wall Street Journal's beating him to the breaking Bank of New York-Russian money laundering story, Tim O'Brien strikes back with a "breaking review" on a Russian restaurant. Borscht and Small Talk. NY Times, April 16

"Why was O'Brien permitted
to write January 17 story at all?"
p-brill.jpg (14788 bytes)
"I was doing my job, period, says
Times reporter Timothy O'Brien."

HAS TIM TEAMED UP WITH

KAGALOVSKY's GUMSHOES?

"BAD BET"
by Timothy L. O'Brien

"...a canned history of the various elements of the gambling industry ... For the most part reads like a series of feature articles stapled together". Excerpts From Kirkus Reviews (September 1, 1998)

Jan. 2, 2000 (MT-WIRE) Alarming reports from Moscow and New York show that Russian financial racketeers are back to their usual stratagem of thwarting criminal and civil proceedings by halting media exposure of their money laundering activity in Russia the US. Following an old Russian tradition "the one who gave birth shall give death", they have enlisted the support of the New York Times reporter who broke the story of Russian laundering through the Bank of New York, Timothy L. O'Brien. ("Activity at Bank Raises Suspicion of Russian Mob Tie", August 19, 1999.)

Also confirmed is that a fancy San Francisco private detective firm, Palladino & Sutherland, has been retained by the Kagalovsky camp. Although not specifically referring to the Palladino firm, Mr. O'Brien himself has stated to a number of witnesses that he works closely with private detectives who (according to Mr. O'Brien) have conducted surveillance of lawyers and witnesses in Inkombank and BoNY proceedings.

Reports from witnesses giving evidence against Russian mob-bankers suggest that they have become targets of Tim O'Brien's and Jack Palladino's terror crusade. Numerous written complaints allege that Mr. O'Brien, under the pretense of writing an article has carried out a massive campaign of harassment, intimidation and attempts to embarrass and discredit witnesses, attorneys and even their families and friends.

This campaign appears to be aimed at impeding and influencing witnesses, parties and lawyers opposing Inkombank and the Bank of New York. Also, Mr. O'Brien's recent conduct and other factual evidence, creates the appearance that Mr. O'Brien's actions are manipulated (wittingly or otherwise) from Moscow by the Vinogradov-Mogilevich faction and their New York proxies.

Messrs. O'Brien's and Palladino's victimizing of witnesses has already resulted in several police complaints. (See below). In addition, attorneys for the plaintiffs and witnesses in the proceedings involving Inkombank and BoNY have expressed their concerns to the Times editors and attorneys. The facts set forth in the complaints suggest that O'Brien may be motivated not by legitimate journalistic pursuit, but by private interests which appear to be unbecoming of a reporter for a paper of the New York Times stature.

Attorneys for the New York Times have denied that the Times or Mr. O'Brien work with Palladino and Sutherland.

RELATED STORIES

Source Turns on Times Reporter (New York Post, Jan.17, 2000) Is Timothy O'Brien of the New York Times an aggressive reporter -- or simply aggressive? ... Emanuel Zeltser, a lawyer and board member of the American Russian Law Institute, charges O'Brien went "out of control" last August when he learned Zeltser, one of his best sources, was talking to the Wall Street Journal and other papers.

Russian Nouveau Riche Applaud O'Brien
Tim O’Brien’s article in the New York Times ("Doubts Raised About Source in Bank of New York Inquiry") is receiving rave reviews by Russia’s financial elite. "We’ve always said that Americans fabricated the whole story" proclaimed a commentator of the Most-Media...

Russian Launderers "Spin" Back - The Times Reporter Teams Up with Kagalovsky's Gumshoes
New York Times Reporter, Timothy O'Brien Joins Campaign Against Witnesses Testifying Against Russian Mob-Controlled Banks.

Is Times Reporter Making Fool of Himself?
In his bizarre January 17, 2000 article Timothy L. O'Brien wrote that Emanuel Zeltser, once the Times primary source for the BoNY-Russian laundering stories, discontinued granting interviews to the idiosyncratic reporter...

Times' Reporter Targets Lawyers, Witnesses
Alarming reports from Moscow and New York show that Russian financial racketeers are back to their usual stratagem of thwarting criminal and civil proceedings by halting media exposure of their money laundering activity in Russia the US.

The O'Brien Questionnaire. Is Tim O'Brien of the NY Times conducting a legitimate journalistic inquiry? You'll be the judge.

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