The New York Times is shrugging off a challenge from the CEO of FedEx following the newspaper’s blistering report on a recent change in the shipping company’s tax status.
“FedEx’s colorful response does not actually challenge a single fact in our story,” spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha told the Washington Examiner. “We’re confident in the accuracy of our reporting.”
The story, published Sunday, reported FedEx had reduced its yearly tax bill from more than $1 billion in 2017 to $0 the next year.
The big tax break came in large part because of the tax code recently passed by Republicans.
“The New York Times paid zero federal income tax in 2017 on earnings of $111 million, and only $30 million in 2018 — 18% of their pretax book income,” FedEx CEO Frederick Smith responded.
Smith went on to challenge the journalists who published the scathing article to a debate on who has done more for the American people.
Leaders at the Times called the debate invitation a deflection and a poorly advised attention grab.
“FedEx’s invitation is clearly a stunt and an effort to distract from the findings of our story,” Rhoades Ha said.
[Opinion: FedEx sticks it to economically illiterate hypocrisy]
