N.Y. Times Still Paying Obama's Nominee to Army Post

President Obama's nominee for U.S. Army general counsel, who pledges to investigate anyone leaking military secrets to the media, will receive at least $1 million in deferred compensation from the New York Times Co. even as he works for the government, records obtained by The Washington Times show.

Solomon B. Watson IV, former chief legal officer for the newspaper, is due the money through an executive payout plan that ends in 2015, according to a recent government ethics form.

Watson's work as chief legal officer for the New York Times emerged as a key issue last week for several Republicans, who questioned his role when the newspaper published two articles based on highly classified military secrets in 2005 and 2006.

"I would take an aggressive action against anyone in the Department of the Army who leaks classified information," Watson told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

According to a recent government ethics filing, Watson, who resigned as chief legal officer at the newspaper company in late 2006, expects six more payments from a New York Times Co. executive compensation plan, ending in 2015. His confirmation is pending.

The plan is valued at between $1 million and $5 million, records show.

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