▁" ab andon ed " ▁by ▁its ▁major ▁don ors . ▁The ▁article ▁exposed ▁how ▁mer cen aries ▁h ired ▁by ▁Erik ▁Prince , ▁the ▁former ▁head ▁of ▁Black water , ▁training ▁Som alis ▁to ▁combat ▁pi racy ▁by ▁the ▁abandoned ▁the ▁program . ▁P unt land ▁officials ▁clar ified ▁that ▁the ▁P MP F ▁still ▁is ▁" part ▁and ▁par cel ▁of ▁P unt land ▁Government ’ s ▁security ▁forces " ▁and ▁that ▁they ▁still ▁receive ▁the ▁financial ▁support ▁from ▁their ▁back ers . ▁They ▁also ▁critic ized ▁the ▁authors ▁for ▁not ▁acknowled ging ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁P MP F ' s ▁success ▁and ▁for ▁neglect ing ▁to ▁contact ▁any ▁P unt land ▁Government ▁officials ▁to ▁comment ▁on ▁the ▁story . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁he ▁furn ished ▁the ▁pre - public ation ▁text ▁of ▁an ▁opinion ▁column ▁written ▁by ▁Ma ure en ▁Dow d ▁concerning ▁the ▁making ▁of ▁the ▁movie ▁" Zero ▁Dark ▁Th irty " ▁to ▁C IA ▁sp ok esp erson ▁Marie ▁Har f ▁for ▁review . ▁Dow d ▁had ▁reported ly ▁asked ▁M azz etti ▁to ▁fact - check ▁a ▁detail ▁in ▁the ▁column ▁for ▁her . ▁Times ▁man aging ▁editor ▁Dean ▁Ba quet ▁dismiss ed ▁the ▁incident ▁as ▁" m uch ▁ad o ▁about ▁nothing ," ▁but ▁the ▁Times ' ▁public ▁editor ▁expressed ▁strong ▁disapp ro val ▁of ▁M azz etti ' s ▁actions . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁rep or ters