Tim Goeglein, special assistant to the president and deputy director of public liaison, admitted this week that he has published plagiarized work. His undoing was at the hands of a blogger, Nancy Nall, who found that one column was lifted from the writings of a former Columbia and Dartmouth professor, Jeffery Hart. Nall and others now claim that there were other columns. Late Friday, reports indicated that Goeglein has resigned.
Apparently, the thing that drew Nall’s attention to the column by Goeglein was a curious name: Eugene Rosenstock-Hussey. She thought the name seemed “goofy” so she googled it and found it in a Hart essay. For Nall’s research, click here. Then things went from bad to worse for Geoglein, who has now admitted to the plagiarism.
To his credit, he has been forthright about the plagiarism: “It is true. I am entirely at fault. It was wrong of me. There are no excuses.”
Other well-known people has weathered plagiarism scandals remarkably well. Doris Kearns Goodwin is back on the media circuit after her battle with plagiarism. Click here
Historian Stephen E Ambrose was also accused. Click here.
It appears that the White House was waiting to see how serious the backblow will be on this story after the weekend. They would only say that they are watching the matter “closely.” However, late Friday, word came that he had indeed resigned.
For the full story on Goeglein, click here.