A New York Times reporter was scheduled to observe U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's brother Irving Kagan while he taught a constitutional law class-- up until the White House put the kibosh on the whole thing.
The reporter was either going to attend both Kagan siblings' alma mater Hunter College High School in Manhattan for a Wednesday morning class at either 8:52a.m. or 9:36a.m, reported the Times.
Although The Times got the okay from both Irving and Hunter College High School, because of the on-going nomination process, the White House needed to approve all Kagan-related media requests.
According to the Times, the White House contacted Hunter on Tuesday and told them to cancel the planned observation. White House spokesman Joshua Earnest told the Times that the White House was "uncomfortable with the idea at this time.”
The Times has since sent the White House a formal detailed outline of what they intend to write for the piece on Irving.
And it looks like others who are those close to Kagan are keeping quiet.
In a May 10th profile Kagan cousin Gail Katz-James told the told the Times, "Verbal sparring was commonplace in their home,” Kagan's cousin Gail Katz-James for a May 10th profile. "They just really enjoyed debating and discussing everything.”
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But just two days after the article was published, Katz-James was suddenly silent.
“I’m sorry. I’m not able to talk to you,” Katz-James told the Times. But she denied in a follow-up call that the White House told her to not speak with the media -- and then promptly hung up the phone.
