CNN needs to rethink its relationship with some of its sources. It is doing its reputation no favors by serving as the Justice Department's go-to source for spin and friendly coverage.

On April 30, the Daily Signal, a creation of the conservative Heritage Foundation, landed a scoop. Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, had lied under oath during her Senate confirmation.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) asked then-nominee Clarke specifically, "Since becoming a legal adult, have you ever been arrested for or accused of committing a violent crime against any person?"

In a written response submitted under oath, Clarke answered with a simple "No."

Her answer was untrue.

Clarke was arrested in 2006 following a domestic dispute in which her then-husband alleged she attacked him with a knife. A criminal case against Clarke was initiated later that same year but was eventually dismissed without trial. Clarke then sought an "Order for Expungement of Police and Court Records," which was granted in 2008. Her divorce was finalized the following year.

The Daily Signal began its investigation of Clarke’s confirmation in February. In April, it published its findings. In all that time, the Justice Department ignored the publication's........

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