Former PR Week media editor turned Gawker writer Hamilton Nolan recently cited an anonymous source that accused PR firm Edelman of telling media training clients, "Sometimes you just have to stand up there and lie."

Edelman CEO Richard Edelman sent a response to Nolan, which was posted on Gawker and stated, in part:

Your post on Edelman today about an unnamed ad and marketing person alleging that we instruct our clients to lie as part of our media training is completely false and needs to be taken down. you bet we take ethics seriously. We advise our clients to be transparent, to tell the truth always but especially in crisis. That is only way to be in business for 55 years as a reputable pr firm.

Nolan then followed up with a post calling Edelman a, "Soulless, Wal-Mart Shilling Firm," while also saying, "You do seem like a nice guy."

Meanwhile, Steve Dunlop, CBS News contributor, President of Dunlop Media and an Edelman media training consultant told PRNewser:

I'm proud to say Edelman has been terrrific to work with, and that is why I was astounded to hear this anonymous allegation made. It doesn't jive with anything I've heard from the company. It is so remotely unlike anything I have ever heard in any so called media training session ever.

In fact, in the sessions we do, we preach the exact opposite and with good reason. You've got to tell reporters the truth. Period. When I saw what I consider an anonymous cheap shot, I just felt like someone had to stand up and say something.

As of the time of this posting, the blogosphere has remained silent on the issue.