New Yorker's Jane Mayer Targeted In Plagiarism Smear Campaign

Someone has tried--and failed--to smear New Yorker writer Jane Mayer as a plagiarist, the New York Post's Keith Kelly reports.

Kelly writes that someone tipped off Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller site, alleging that Mayer plagiarized portions of her widely read exposé of the Koch brothers, who have quietly funneled millions of dollars into Tea Party groups. But, after weeks of digging, the site found no merit to the story, and backed off.

Still, the source of the allegations remains unknown.

New Yorker editor David Remnick told Kelly, "Everyone agrees there's no story here...it seems like someone is trying to stir up trouble where none exists."

Kelly obtained some of the purported evidence that was apparently passed to the Caller, and contacted one of the bloggers whom Mayer was alleged to have plagiarized, Lee Fang. He told Kelly, "these accusations are completely without merit."