MEDIA ADVISORY, Friday, July 30, 2007
CONTACT: Yoni Cohen, Stark (202) 225-3202

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- “On Friday I sent a press release suggesting that three journalists, Nancy Snyderman and Robert Bazell of NBC News and Susan Dentzer of the PBS' NewsHour, participate in America’s Health Insurance Plans’ (AHIP) Speakers Network,” said Stark. “According to these journalists, AHIP and/or the Leading Authorities Speakers Bureau added them to this network without their approval and without their knowledge. I therefore apologize to each for suggesting that they contracted with the insurance lobby.”

“Again, my apologies to the three journalists for associating them with this reprehensible lobby. But as is often the case, AHIP’s actions speaker louder than my words. That the insurance lobby would add journalists to their speakers network without approval smacks of the kind of dishonesty they regularly employ. Not only does AHIP lie about health care policy, they also besmirch the reputations of journalists.”

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July 27, 2007

Congressman Peter Stark
United States House of Representatives
239 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Stark:

I am writing to you in connection with a press release issued by your office attacking journalists Susan Dentzer, Robert Bazell and Nancy Snyderman for being part of the "AHIP Speakers Network," a program managed by Leading Authorities. Unfortunately, this press release was issued without checking the facts. Please let me explain.

Leading Authorities, Inc., one of the nation's top lecture agencies, entered into a business relationship with AHIP for the purpose of promoting health care speakers to AHIP members. In this process, several journalist speakers were put on the joint Leading Authorities-AHIP Speakers Network site. This was an error by Leading Authorities for which we take full responsibility and was not authorized by the journalists mentioned above.

Our experience with nationally-recognized journalists is that they follow strict ethical guidelines and do not accept speaking engagements for honoraria from corporate health care audiences or, for that matter, from organizations that publicly advocate for health care issues. None of the journalists above has ever been booked for the AHIP Speakers Network nor have they received any fees.

I regret that an inadvertent error made by our firm has been used to attack journalists with the highest ethical standards and integrity. I have apologized to them for our error and believe your office should do the same.

Sincerely,

Mark D. French
President