The New York Times says it is reassigning a reporter whose relationships were examined after prosecutors seized her email and phone records in a government leak investigation.

The Times said Tuesday that Ali Watkins will be given a fresh start in New York. The Times had looked into her ties to James Wolfe, former security director for the Senate Intelligence Committee, who has been accused by prosecutors of misleading investigators.

Times’ executive editor Dean Baquet said it is unacceptable for a reporter to have an intimate relationship with someone she covers. He said that despite poor judgment, no one had questioned her work’s accuracy.

Baquet says the public shouldn’t overlook the actions of the government in searching through Watkins’ records looking for government leakers.

(AP)