Does Richard Johnson, he of the New York Post fame, have an improper relationship with Jason Binn, the celebrity-publisher-to-the-stars and boss guy of Gotham and D.C.'s own Capitol File?

In an article today on the tangled web of relationships that is the New York gossip world, The New York Times cites Johnson's column with Gotham as one potential conflict: "In the past two years, Mr. Binn--who is also a source for gossip, according to a reporter who has worked for Page Six--has been mentioned in the column 16 times, and all of the items have been harmless to congratulatory. Mr. Binn was traveling and unavailable for comment yesterday, but a spokeswoman said there was nothing untoward in the relationship."

"Niche Media puts on over 250 celebrity-driven events a year and publishes over 50 magazines," said Sarah Greenberg, a publicist for Niche Media tells the NYT's Campbell Robertson. "They are in the press every week. I would like to think that I could get my client in The New York Post at least eight items a year."

True enough, but sixteen congratulatory mentions in the gossip world is a nearly unheard of record. Come on The Reliable Source has been much tougher on Binn, noting some of his foibles as well as some of his successes--and we know that when the Reliable Source is tougher on you than Page Six, something is definitely fishy.