Christopher Ruddy
Journalism
Journalism
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*[New York Post](/wiki/New_York_Post "New York Post")* editor [Eric Breindel](/wiki/Eric_Breindel "Eric Breindel") recommended Ruddy for a job at the *[Pittsburgh Tribune\-Review](/wiki/Pittsburgh_Tribune-Review "Pittsburgh Tribune-Review")* owned by [Richard Mellon Scaife](/wiki/Richard_Mellon_Scaife "Richard Mellon Scaife").Stewart *Blood Sport*, p. 429\. In November 1994, Ruddy was hired to investigate the story full\-time by the *Tribune\-Review*.Evans\-Pritchard, Ambrose. "[Suicide is hard to sell](http://192.80.61.73/WebVAX/ET/ambr2Feb95.html) ". *[The Daily Telegraph](/wiki/The_Daily_Telegraph "The Daily Telegraph")*, February 2, 1995\. In between Ruddy's departure from the Post and joining the *Tribune\-Review*, he put out a report through the [Western Journalism Center](/wiki/Western_Journalism_Center "Western Journalism Center") criticizing the [Fiske](/wiki/Robert_B._Fiske "Robert B. Fiske") investigation as inadequate. With the help of Scaife, the Center took out full\-page ads in major newspapers to promote the report (Scaife gave $330,000 to the Center in 1994–95 before ending his support).Moldea, op. cit., pp. 267, 275\.Chinoy, Ira and Robert G. Kaiser. [Decades of Contributions to Conservatism](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/scaifegraf050299.htm). *The Washington Post*, May 2, 1999, p. A25\.

Ruddy's discussion of questions regarding the death of [White House](/wiki/White_House "White House") counsel [Vince Foster](/wiki/Vince_Foster "Vince Foster") drew [mixed reactions](/wiki/The_Strange_Death_of_Vincent_Foster "The Strange Death of Vincent Foster").
Ruddy claimed that Park Police had staged the scene of Foster's death as described in their reports.Moldea, op. cit., p. 268\. One of the officers named by Ruddy sued him along with the Western Journalism Center, seeking $2 million in damages for [libel](/wiki/Libel "Libel").Moldea, op. cit., p. 276\. The suit was dismissed because Ruddy had said nothing libelous "of and concerning the officer."Moldea, op. cit., pp. 350–51\.

Ruddy later built on his work on the Foster case for his book *[The Strange Death of Vincent Foster](/wiki/The_Strange_Death_of_Vincent_Foster "The Strange Death of Vincent Foster")*. In reviewing the book, [Richard Brookhiser](/wiki/Richard_Brookhiser "Richard Brookhiser") of the *[National Review](/wiki/National_Review "National Review")* called it "the St. Mark version of the gospel of the Foster cover\-up: a plain narrative of the perceived failings of the official investigation, with minimal speculation."Brookhiser, Richard. ["Body Politics"](https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/28/books/body-politics.html). *The New York Times Book Review*, September 28, 1997, pp. 13–14\. Shortly after the book came out, Fiske's successor as independent counsel, [Kenneth Starr](/wiki/Kenneth_Starr "Kenneth Starr"), released his report from the third investigation into Foster's death. Starr also concluded that Foster had committed suicide.

Ruddy ended his investigative reporting after founding *Newsmax*, but continues to write an occasional blog while he shapes overall editorial policy. He told Jeremy Peters of *The New York Times* that his outlets provide "news that Americans in the heartland would like to see."


How does Ruddy's work on Vincent Foster's case relate to his book?