The timing of an email sent from Washington Post reporter Adela Suliman has been called into question by a spokeswoman for Governor Ron DeSantis, after the Post published an in-depth story about Republican efforts to restrict some discussions in Florida schools about sexual orientation and gender identity. The story was filled with quotes from DeSantis’s political opponents but failed to include a response from the governor’s office.

DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw blasted Suliman and the Washington Post, alleging that the email seeking DeSantis’s side of the story was sent at 5:20am Eastern Time, and only after Suliman had the story ready for publication. Suliman’s story was published on the Washington Post’s website at 7:44 a.m., just over two hours after the email to DeSantis’s team.

After emailing a response to the Post, Pushaw took to Twitter to demand an apology from the Post and Suliman for what Pushaw says was a lack of ethics.

Hi @Adela_Suliman! You reached out to our office for comment at 5:20am and published your long, in-depth article at 7:44am claiming we “didn’t respond to a request for comment.” This is unethical journalism, and I demand an apology. Also, I responded in depth at 11am – UPDATE. pic.twitter.com/McFCsQmTAX

— Christina Pushaw 🐊🚛 (@ChristinaPushaw) February 9, 2022

At 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, thirty minutes after Pushaw’s first tweet, Suliman emailed back.

Hi Christina, 

Thanks for the below. I’m London-based hence different US work hours. Appreciate your response and we’ll update shortly. 

Best wishes, 

Adela

Pushaw then called into question why the Post would have assigned the London-based Suliman to cover Florida politics in the first place, and suggested Suliman wrote her article and only emailed the DeSantis Administration after the highly critical narrative had already been constructed.

It’s pretty obvious you talked to progressive activist groups and wrote your entire article based on their talking points, then contacted us immediately before publication at 5:20am (assuming we wouldn’t answer immediately at that time) so you could check that box. We see you.

— Christina Pushaw 🐊🚛 (@ChristinaPushaw) February 9, 2022

Five and a half hours later, at 1:16 p.m. Eastern Time, Suliman updated her story with the official response from the DeSantis Administration, but Pushaw wasn’t satisfied.

“Now perhaps @washingtonpost can explain why a London reporter is writing stories about Tallahassee without taking into account our time zone,” Pushaw posted on Twitter. “Also, it’s obvious Adela wrote this whole story before contacting us.”