Did Walsh Mislead the NYT's on PTSD Treatment Issue?

An earlier New York Times item detailing a significant case of plagiarism by Senator John Walsh of Montana specifically claimed Walsh had not sought treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after his service in Iraq.

The aide said Mr. Walsh, who served in Iraq from November 2004 to November 2005, “dealt with the experience of post-deployment,” but acknowledged he had not sought treatment.

Now, the Seattle Times is reporting that, not only did he receive treatment, he was also on medication at the time the plagiarism presumably took place. 

U.S. Sen. John Walsh of Montana says he was on medication and being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder when he used unattributed work of scholars in his master’s thesis.

What remains unknown is whether or not Walsh disclosed the information to Montana Governor Steve Bullock when he was appointed to the Senate in February, or if he withheld the information, or perhaps even misled Bullock.

Montana Lt. Gov. John Walsh was appointed Friday to fill the Senate seat being vacated by veteran Democrat Max Baucus, who is leaving the chamber early to serve as ambassador to China. 

The GOP immediately cast Walsh as a puppet of the Democratic establishment, while the incoming senator insisted he won’t “get sucked into Washington, D.C.” 

The furious positioning underscored the importance of the Montana seat for both sides. Democrats are trying to fend off increasingly confident Republicans seeking the six seats they need to regain control of the Senate, and in a state like Montana, every little edge counts.

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