NBC has been accused of “checkbook journalism” in its coverage of a New Jersey father fighting for custody of his son in Brazil.

NBC News flew David Goldman and his son Sean on a chartered jet home to the United States on Christmas Eve at the conclusion of a five-year, international custody battle.

In an unusual move for a professional organization, the ethics committee of the Society of Professional Journalists singled out NBC, criticizing the network for not disclosing to viewers that it had provided the Goldmans with a flight.

Andy Schotz, the ethics committee chairman, alleges that the public might assume NBC had bought the family’s loyalty and exclusive interviews with the jet travel.

“The Goldmans were invited on a jet NBC News chartered to fly home to the US on Thursday, December 24,” the network said in a prepared statement. “NBC News has followed this story since the Goldmans’ story first ran on ‘Dateline‘ nearly one year ago — David Goldman since has appeared on ‘Today‘ 17 times.”

“NBC News has not and will not pay for an interview,” the statement said.