A new piece in the New York Times looks at examples of when political leaders meddle in government data, proving it rarely ends well. The article reads in part, quote, "There is the case of Greece, where the government faked deficit numbers for years, contributing to a debilitating debt crisis that required multiple rounds of bailouts. The country then criminally prosecuted the head of the statistical agency when he insisted on reporting the true figures, further eroding the country's international standing ...