But based on the this statement, I'm inclined to believe that everything the NYT published was, in fact, true. No where in the statement does it call into quest

But based on the this statement, I'm inclined to believe that everything the NYT published was, in fact, true. No where in the statement does it call into question any of the facts, just calling it an "outrageous distortion" of the truth. Which implies it is true, though he certainly takes issue with the characterization of the truth. So if expected behavior of the NYT is factual reporting, I'd say they're on the money!