The New York Times Friday was forced to qualify a story slamming UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, reports the New York Post. The Times issued a lengthy editor’s note confessing they unfairly blamed her for unrestrained spending on curtains for her East Side dwelling when in fact the curtains were ordered during the Obama era.
The Times originally reported the State Department spent $52,700 on “customized and mechanized” curtains for an apartment across from the UN on the East Side of Manhattan where Haley lives.
A Haley spokesman said plans to buy the curtains were made during the Obama administration, and the editor's note admitted they were mistaken in blaming Haley.
“An earlier version of this article and headline created an unfair impression about who was responsible for the purchase in question. While Nikki R. Haley is the current ambassador to the United Nations, the decision on leasing the ambassador’s residence and purchasing the curtains was made during the Obama administration, according to current and former officials,” the Times wrote.
“The article should not have focused on Ms. Haley, nor should a picture of her have been used. The article and headline have now been edited to reflect those concerns, and the picture has been removed.”
The Times reported that the curtains cost $29,900, while the motors and machinery used to automatically open and close them cost $22,801.