They even had children together. But it's OK. They were married. What may not have been so OK was for Gregory to report on Fannie Mae without disclosing he was married to Beth Wilkinson. Maybe at some point he did disclose it, but it's likely the public wasn't aware of it.
Who is Beth Wilkinson?
Her Wikipedia entry says:
Beth A. Wilkinson is a prominent Washington, D.C., lawyer who successfully argued for the execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. She has also been a critic of unfair administration of the death penalty.
She also served as Fannie Mae's executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary from February 2006 until September 2008. She resigned her position at Fannie Mae along with three other senior executives on September 19, 2008, after the troubled mortgage giant was taken over by the government.
...In 2006 Fannie Mae recruited Wikinson as parts of its effort to rebuild its relationship with regulators after accounting scandals and complaints about its corporate culture.
Her compensation at Fannie Mae was not disclosed when she was hired.
A Legal Times piece from October 2006 on law.com says "Corporate scandals and an increased emphasis on ethics have raised the profile of top legal officers."
When Beth Wilkinson was hired, for example, Fannie Mae was fighting its way back from a major accounting scandal and criticism of what some characterized as an arrogant corporate culture.
The offer to join Fannie Mae "kind of landed in my lap," Wilkinson says. "I wasn't sure I would like in-house work because I love trial work and making decisions. ... Ironically, when I got here, I found I make 50 decisions every day. That, I love."
The New York Times reported on their June 10, 2000, wedding.
Beth Ann Wilkinson, a lawyer, and David Michael Gregory, a television reporter, both of whom work in Washington, were married on Nantucket Island yesterday. Judge Merrick B. Garland of the Federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit officiated at the Summer House, an inn in Siasconset, Mass.
Ms. Wilkinson, who is keeping her name, is a partner in the law firm of Latham & Watkins. A former special attorney with the Justice Department, she was a prosecutor in the Oklahoma City bombing trials. She graduated magna cum laude from Princeton and received her law degree from the University of Virginia. She is a daughter of Judith and Robert Wilkinson of Richland, Wash. Her father, a retired Navy submarine captain, is the director of the nuclear spent-fuel project in Hanford, Wash.
Mr. Gregory is a political correspondent covering the presidential campaign of Gov. George W. Bush for NBC News. He graduated from American University. He is the son of Carolyn Surtees of Los Angeles and Don Gregory of Newport Beach, Calif. His father is a theatrical and film producer in Newport Beach. The bridegroom's mother is an account manager in the business services division, in San Fernando, Calif., for Office Depot, the office supplies chain.
Wilkinson was featured last year in washingtonian.com: "Seven women who always look professional talk about dressing for success -- where they shop, what they’re buying, and outfits that go from office to cocktails." Wilkinson shows off her "navy-blue Feraud outfit (that) works for work and for social occasions. The two pieces are $1,600 at Saks Jandel, 5510 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase."
Her work style: "I like to be business-appropriate but feminine. Whether I wear a suit, slacks, or a dress, tailoring and good material are important."
Designers she wears: "I feel great in Louis Feraud suits -- one of my favorites is blue with a pinstriped jacket and boucle skirt. Theory is good for simple pieces with a bit of a 'downtown' look."
On her feet: "I love high heels. Stuart Weitzman shoes are comfortable, and I also wear Manolo Blahniks. I’m getting a pair of Jimmy Choo black patent open-toe shoes for spring."
Sophisticated extras: Scarves by Pucci and Hermes.
David Gregory and his wife Beth Wilkinson arrive for the
State Dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince
Philip, Monday, May 7, 2007, at the White House.
(AP photo by Haraz N. Ghanbari)
From today, on "Meet the Press":
MR. BROKAW: David Gregory, let me introduce a moment of heresy into the political campaign. Isn’t it also time for these candidates to reflect just what Peggy (Noonan) was saying and say to the American people, "You’ve got a role in this, too. You’ve got to step up."
We’re not going to make gain without some pain here in the next year, and, in fact, the American people have been part of the problem that we have right now. A lot of them took loans that they should, ought not to have taken. Credit card debt is very high. And they want to turn a blind eye to things like entitlements, Medicare and how we’re going to pay for it.
MR. GREGORY: Yeah, I mean, the idea that this is going to be tough, that you’re going to have a president who inherits a very difficult problem, and that there’s going to have to be some pain that’s incurred by the American people. And neither candidate has really stepped up to say, in the middle of all this, "You’re going to have to deal with all that."
MS. NOONAN: Mm-hmm.
MR. GREGORY: I think that the test for Obama is how he deals with the next 30 days and how he continues to deal with the economy. He’s trying to project calm in the face of all this. But you’re right. I mean, perhaps he wants to name an economic team before the campaign is over to say, "Look, we’re going to get after something that’s going to be a huge problem, and it’s not going to get any easier for Americans here in the next administration."
MR. BROKAW: The question is, if he’s going to name an economic team, who’s going to be left to name on that team?
MR. GREGORY: Right.
MR. BROKAW: Because some of the very biggest names in America are now looking out for homeless shelters in which they can spend some time in the next nine months or so.
Thank you all very much for being with us.
Can someone please tell me what Brokaw is talking about at the end? It seems almost like "verbage."