As mentioned by others, there isn't any solid evidence here. I consider NYT one of the more reputable news sources out there (the bar is pretty low...), but this situation reminds me all too well of the following which I half-jokingly shared with a friend recently:

  How to be a media outlet in 5 easy steps:
  - do not provide any sources, at all, unless of course you're dogfooding
  - make bold claims based on hearsay, comments from random strangers and uneducated/irrelevant celebrities
  - judge and slander people before any researched verdict has been reached
  - spread lies and make them truths through mob behavior, then support your original lies by pointing to the "public consensus"
  - do not take responsibility for any of your actions, ever, unless it generates money and/or attention

The repercussions of these half-assed "investigations" worry me to say the least.