Secret Service records raise new questions about discredited conservative reporter

RAW STORY ^ | 4/25/04 | John Byrne

[jd777]

Secret Service records raise new questions about discredited conservative reporter

By John Byrne RAW STORY Editor

Day discovered with two check-ins but no check outs; Other events found on some days without press briefings

In what is unlikely to stem the controversy surrounding disgraced White House correspondent James Guckert, the Secret Service has furnished logs of the writer’s access to the White House after requests by two Democratic congressmembers.

The documents, obtained by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) through a Freedom of Information Act request, reveal Guckert had remarkable access to the White House. Though he wrote under the name Jeff Gannon, the records show that he applied with his real name.

Gannon’s ready access to President Bush and his work for a news agency that frequently plagiarized content from other reporters and tailored it to serve a conservative message may raise new questions about the White House’s attempts to seed favorable news coverage. Democrats have sought to paint Guckert in the context of other efforts by the Administration to “plant” positive spin by paying for video news releases and columnists to espouse their views.

Guckert made more than 200 appearances at the White House during his two-year tenure with the fledging conservative websites GOPUSA and Talon News, attending 155 of 196 White House press briefings. He had little to no previous journalism experience, previously worked as a male escort, and was refused a congressional press pass.

Perhaps more notable than the frequency of his attendance, however, is several distinct anomalies about his visits.

Guckert made more than two dozen excursions to the White House when there were no scheduled briefings. On many of these days, the Press Office held press gaggles aboard Air Force One—which raises questions about what Guckert was doing at the White House. On other days, the president held photo opportunities.

On at least fourteen occasions, Secret Service records show either the entry or exit time missing. Generally, the existing entry or exit times correlate with press conferences; on most of these days, the records show that Guckert checked in but was never processed out.

In March, 2003, Guckert left the White House twice on days he had never checked in with the Secret Service. Over the next 22 months, Guckert failed to check out with the Service on fourteen days. On several of these visits, Guckert either entered or exited by a different entry/exit point than his usual one. On one of these days, no briefing was held; on another, he checked in twice but failed to check out.

“I’d be worried if I was the White House and I knew that a reporter with a day pass never left,” one White House reporter told RAW STORY. “I’d wonder, where is he hiding? It seems like a security risk.”

Others who have covered the White House say not checking in or out with the Secret Service is unusual, especially in the wake of Sept. 11. The Secret Service declined to comment.

“We responded to the FOIA request and can provide no further information,” Service spokesman Jonathan Cherry said.

Guckert declined to comment, directing all questions to the Service.

The records furnished by the Service are unlikely to finally answer who approved Gannon’s “temporary” day passes into the presidential residence. The Service keeps a record of who approved passes only for the last sixty days; previous records are kept by the White House.

Since December 2004, all but one of Gannon’s forty-eight temporary appointments were requested by Lois Cassano, a White House Press Office media assistant. One additional request was made by Peter Watkins, a press assistant who now works as deputy press secretary to First Lady Laura Bush.

Guckert sometimes stayed for an extended period of time before and after press conferences, particularly early in his tenure. This was especially common during his first few months, when he might be in the White House for as long as six hours.

A White House reporter dismissed this as insignificant, noting that sometimes reporters stay between events.

“You could probably find people who stayed there for nine hours,” the reporter said.

Occasionally, the former Talon News reporter visited the White House twice on the same day. This was also most common in the early months.

The Secret Service furnished the records after a Freedom of Information Act request from Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and Louise Slaughter (D-NY).

Guckert drew fire from liberals after asking a question of President Bush earlier this year in which he misquoted the Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Investigative bloggers at Daily Kos and AmericaBlog.org discovered that Guckert owned male escort sites, and was himself a male prostitute.

The now-blogger has also been accused of lifting copy from press releases and other reporters.

A Massachusetts editor and reporter have accused Guckert of plagiarism, which RAW STORY reported in March. The watchdog Media Matters for America has also found that many of Guckert’s stories lifted directly from White House press releases.

Talon News, which shut down after the fracas over Gannon erupted, was self-avowedly Republican. Bobby Eberle, the site's founder, told the Washington Post, "We make no bones about it: It's a partisan site."

In a February letter to President Bush, several Senate Democrats raised concern about Gannon in connection with what they believe is an attempt to “buy” coverage.

“The Gannon/Guckert affair is disturbing because of what we have recently learned about apparent efforts by some in your Administration to try to "buy" favorable news coverage,” the Democrats wrote. “These other efforts include paying news personalities … large sums of money to promote your Administration's education and marriage initiatives, and using taxpayer dollars to produce video news releases promoting the new prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries and other policies the Administration regards as accomplishments.”

The Administration has defended such efforts, and has sought to downplay their significance.

READ THE DOCUMENTS

The first set of times for each date is Guckert's login and logout. The second set is the briefing time. Research conducted by Raw Story researcher Muriel Kane. No briefing does not necessarily mean no briefing took place, only that none was scheduled by the White House press office. We have tried to make note of other briefings held on the dates there was no White House press briefing.

*ANALYSIS UPDATED -- 12:24 A.M. Dates without briefings reduced to thirty.

2/25/03 11:46 - 1:25 (briefing 12:26-1:03)

2/26 9:56 - 2:17 (unusually long) (briefing 1:25-1:53)

2/27 11:49 - 1:34 (no briefing)

2/28 11:20 - 1:26 (briefing 12:35-1:10)

3/3/03 9:51 - 1:32 (unusually long) (briefing 12:21-1:00)

3/4 11:48 - 1:45 (briefing 12:46-1:20)

3/5 11:56 - 1:57 (briefing 12:21-1:00)

3/6 11:58 - 12:42 (no briefing)

3/6 9:11 pm exit - no entry (Bush press conference, 8 pm)

3/7 3:22 pm exit -- no entry (briefing 2:20-3:00)

3/10 12:47 - 3:11 (briefing 1:23-2:10)

3/11 12:25 - 1:47 (briefing at 12:38 - no end time given)

3/12 12:55 - 2:40 (briefing 1:20-1:59)

3/13 12:12 - 1:55 (briefing 12:40-1:19)

3/14 12:02 - 1:49 (briefing 12:35-1:06)

3/17 12:01 - 1:30 (no briefing)

3/18 12:09 - 1:31 (briefing 12:21-1:05)

3/19 9:38 - 3:27 (unusually long) (12:15-12:59) (Bush speech, 10 pm)

3/20 12:19 - 1:38 (briefing 12:32-1:15)

3/21 10:52 - 12:31 (briefing 2:31-3:12 -- doesn't match)

3/24 1:02 - 2:43 (briefing 1:00-1:44)

3/25 1:45 - 3:30 (briefing 2:30-3:15)

3/28 12:34 - 3:51 (unusually long) (briefing 12:35-1:15)

4/4/03 12:18 - 1:31 (12:20-12:59)

4/9 1:48 - 3:48 (2:32-3:20)

4/10 12:14 - 2:00 (12:20-1:03)

4/11 12:24 - 1:52 (12:15-12:45) (arrives late)

4/14 12:34 - 1:46 (12:30-1:15) (arrives late)

4/21 3:33 - 4:19 (no briefing)

4/22 11:36 - 1:37 (12:30-1:14)

4/23 12:16 - 2:26 (1:17-1:55)

4/25 11:21 - 1:25 (12:19-1:00)

4/28 3:01 - 4:40 (11:08-11:23 -- doesn't match)

4/29 11:25 - 1:10 (12:23-12:58)

4/30 11:37 - 3:14 (unusually long) (12:32-1:19)

5/6/03 11:27 - 12:56 (11:50-12:30)

5/7 11:53 - 1:29 (12:30-1:10)

5/8 1:09 - 7:10 (unusually long) (1:45-2:26)

5/9 9:49 - 11:38 (no briefing)

5/14 12:02 - 1:47 (12:35-1:15)

5/14 5:15 pm - 6:56 pm (second evening visit)

5/15 12:27 - 2:25 (1:08-1:47)

5/16 12:05 - 1:40 (12:35-1:19)

5/20 12:27 - 2:04 (12:55-1:34)

5/27 11:56 - 1:31 (12:23-1:05)

5/28 11:50 - 12:53 (12:05-12:44)

5/28 3:26 - 4:53 (second visit)

5/29 11:42 - 1:43 (12:20-1:00)

6/10/03 12:13 - 1:19 (12:33-1:12)

6/17 12:29 - 1:41 (12:32-1:11)

6/18 12:16 - 1:42 (12:50-1:34)

6/22 3:32 - 4:49 (no briefing)

6/23 1:41 - 2:21 (no briefing)

6/25 12:16 - 1:01 (12:30-12:55)

6/26 11:32 - 12:35 (11:45-12:24)

7/1/03 11:25 - 1:42 (12:50-1:26)

7/2 11:50 - 1:20 (12:35-1:12)

7/3 3:04 - 4:16 (Condi Rice briefing, 3:40-4:10)

7/14 11:33 - 1:32 (Ari's goodbye party) (12:03-12:56)

7/15 12:15 (no exit) (12:38-1:23)

7/16 12:26 - 2:05 (12:50-1:20)

7/17 4:43 - 6:13 (12:36-1:17 -- doesn't match)

7/22 12:23 - 1:53 (12:58-1:35)

7/23 12:21 - 2:23 (1:17-2:07)

7/25 2:08 - 3:30 (2:39-3:15)

7/27 3:08 - 5:24 (no briefing)

7/28 12:53 - 2:04 (briefing 10:12-10:23 -- doesn't match)

7/30 12:13 - 12:45 (no briefing) (Bush press conference earlier than that

8/1/03 12:18 (no exit) (12:24-12:54)

8/1 12:39 - 1:20 (two sets of times if put together seem to match the briefing)

9/2/03 12:37 (A4 HC Entry Lane, no exit) (12:42-1:23)

9/3 12:10 - 1:18 (12:30-1:10)

9/10 12:17 - 1:32 (12:49-1:23)

9/16 12:23 - 1:59 (1:00-1:39)

9/17 12:12 - 1:55 (1:00-1:41)

9/22 1:54 - 3:06 (no briefing) (Bush meets with Iraqis, remarks end 4:35)

9/25 12:49 - 1:53 (12:48-1:35)

9/26 12:09 - 2:24 (12:36-1:15)

9/29 12:09 - 1:10 (12:18-1:03)

10/1/03 11:51 - 1:37 (12:44-1:30)

10/2 11:52 (no exit) (12:47-1:26)

10/6 12:58, 6:10 (no exit; checks in twice but doesn't check out)

10/7 12:46 - 2:03 (12:58-1:46)

10/8 12:10 - 1:27 (12:16-12:42)

10/14 12:22 (no exit) (12:40-1:14)

10/27 12:32 - 1:33 (12:39-1:15)

10/28 10:54 - 12:22 (Bush press conference 11:15-12:03)

10/29 12:20 - 1:08 (12:20-12:57)

11/6/03 12:09 - 1:09 (12:35-1:04)

11/12 12:09 - 1:58 (1:10-1:47)

11/14 12:54 - 2:07 (1:36-2:00)

11/21 5:25 - 6:49 (no briefing)

11/24 8:49 - 9:43 (no briefing)

12/2/03 2:08 - 3:29 (no briefing)

12/3 12:03 - 1:11 (12:32-1:06)

12/7 3:25 (no exit - entry via A4 HC Entry Lane) (no briefing)

12/9 12:33 - 1:45 (12:55-1:21)

12/10 12:05 - 1:23 (12:35-1:15)

12/12 11:51 - 1:35 (12:15-12:52)

12/15 10:45 - 12:42 (Bush press conference 11:15-12:03)

12/18 12:44 - 2:28 (2:05-2:43)

12/19 12:21 - 12:56 (B4 Entry Lane 2) (12:30-12:50)

12/19 1:36 - 2:13 (second visit)

12/22 12:15 - 1:23 (12:28-1:01)

1/14/04 12:30 - 1:33 (12:41-1:15)

1/16 12:08 - 12:48 (12:11-12:44)

1/23 11:52 - 1:12 (12:33-1:06)

1/28 11:53 - 1:26 (12:50-1:20)

1/30 12:30 - 1:23 (12:37-1:09)

2/2/04 12:32 - 1:35 (12:48-1:28)

2/3 12:44 - 1:55 (12:54-1:20)

2/4 11:50 - 1:38 (12:56-1:36) 2/10 11:50 - 1:55 (12:53-1:38)

2/11 11:57 - 1:09 (12:30-1:02)

2/13 12:07 - 1:08 (12:30-1:02)

2/18 12:04 - 1:29 (12:36-1:08)

2/19 12:05 - 1:30 (12:37-1:14)

2/20 12:32 - 1:29 (12:33-1:03)

2/23 12:55 - 1:17 (12:43-1:10) (arrives late)

2/24 12:06 - 1:52 (1:00-1:36)

2/27 1:55 - 3:39 (2:18-2:48)

3/1/04 12:50 - 2:04 (1:20-2:00)

3/2 12:29 - 1:23 (12:46-1:14)

3/9 12:40 - 1:49 (1:03-1:37)

3/12 12:54 - 1:00 (unusually short) (no briefing)

3/16 12:43 - 1:52 (1:10-1:46)

3/17 12:18 - 1:56 (1:26-1:50)

3/22 12:03 - 2:10 (1:24-2:04)

3/23 12:03 - 1:34 (12:47-1:10)

3/24 12:17 - 2:03 (1:10-2:02)

3/30 exit only, 12:04 (no briefing)

3/30 4:22 - 4:55 (no briefing)

4/1/04 12:42 - 1:57 (1:25-1:53)

4/13 9:42 - 10:29 (no briefing) (Bush speaks to reporters on the WH lawn)

4/13 6:59 pm - 9:49 pm (Bush press conference)

4/16 10:51 - 3:08 (2:41-3:09) (Bush/Blair press conference)

4/21 12:14 - 1:00 (12:31-1:00)

4/27 12:10 (no exit, entry via A4 HC Entry Lane instead of Entry Lane 2) (12:27-12:59)

4/28 12:26 - 1:47 (1:20-1:47)

4/29 11:10 no exit (well before briefing) (Bush and Cheney testify to 9/11 commission)

4/29 2:15 - 2:57 (2:23-2:56)

4/30 1:24 - 2:47 (2:22-2:45)

5/5/04 12:02 - 2:25 (1:38-2:16) (arrives unusually early)

5/6 12:01 - 3:35 (12:20-12:54) (stays unusually late)

5/10 1:22 - 2:50 (2:02-2:33)

5/12 11:56 - 1:03 (12:34-12:55)

5/24 no entry, exit logged twice, 2:04:43 and 2:04:51 (1:14-1:46)

5/26 12:09 - 1:51 (1:15-1:51)

5/28 2:17 - no exit (3:02-3:34)

6/1/04 9:20 - 12:03 (Condi Rice briefing, 9:45)

6/3 9:02 - 10:32 (no briefing)

6/14 10:02 - 11:45 (no briefing)

6/15 11:03 - no exit (2:25-2:52) (there well before briefing)

6/15 5:19 - 6:38 (B4 Exit Lane instead of usual A4 Exit Reader) (after briefing)

(Bush and Karzai in Press Availability) 6/16 2:50 - 4:34 (no briefing)

6/17 11:57 - 1:25 (12:47-1:20)

6/21 9:27 - 10:03 (no briefing)

6/22 12:13 - 5:04 (unusually long) (Al Gonzales briefing, 3:12-4:55)

6/24 1:27 - 2:13 (Condi Rice briefing, 1:51-2:03)

6/30 12:21 - 1:55 (1:15-1:55)

7/1/04 12:22 - 1:36 (1:01-1:37)

7/2 9:43 - 11:53 (no briefing)

7/6 12:15 - 12:58 (12:33-12:48)

7/8 1:07 - 2:21 (1:53-2:22)

7/15 12:48 - 1:48 (12:54-1:23)

7/19 1:04 - 2:24 (1:52-2:22)

7/21 12:22 - 2:02 (1:10-1:40)

7/22 10:11 - 10:47 (no briefing)

7/29 6:03 - 6:21 (no briefing)

8/2/04 10:59 - 1:47 (1:02-1:39) (there 2 hours early)

8/9 12:07 - 1:03 (12:31-12:59)

8/17 11:06 - 12:31 (no briefing)

8/27 9:10 - 9:37 (no briefing)

9/10/04 11:19 - 12:55 (no briefing)

9/15 12:17 - 1:56 (1:11-1:45)

9/22 11:57 - 12:34 (no briefing)

9/23 11:19 - 1:14 (Bush press conference with Allawi)

11/2/04 1:31 - 2:20 (no briefing) (Election Day)

11/4 9:16 - 12:11 (Bush press conference 11:17-11:57)

11/8 11:50 - 1:08 (12:20-12:52)

11/10 12:35 - 12:58 (12:26-12:45) (arrives late)

11/12 10:57 -- no exit (Bush press conference with Blair)

11/16 12:26 - 1:51 (12:20-1:32) (arrives late)

11/17 12:07 - 2:14 (12:38-1:10)

11/29 12:23 - 1:49 (12:56-1:32)

12/6/04 12:37 - 1:59 (1:03-1:36)

12/8 12:07 - 1:41 (1:05-1:39)

12/10 12:32 - 1:51 (1:06-1:32)

12/13 12:18 - 1:36 (12:50-1:18)

12/14 12:46 - 1:53 (12:48-1:23)

12/17 12:16 - 1:48 (12:47-1:14)

12/20 10:05 - 11:49 (Bush press conference, 10:32-11:25)

12/21 12:00 - 2:04 (12:35-1:10)

12/22 12:04 - 1:08 (no briefing)

12/23 12:31 - 1:26 (no briefing)

1/18/05 12:05 - 1:36 (12:28-12:57)

1/19 12:26 - 1:38 (12:48-1:19)

1/25 12:19 - 1:04 (12:23-12:53)

1/26 9:54 - 10:56 (Bush press conference, 10:00-10:47)

1/31 12:27 - 1:24 (12:45-1:16)

2/1/05 12:11 no exit (12:18-12:47)

2/7 12:10 - 3:00 (1:45-1:06)

Correction: The first edition of this article incorrectly referred to "presidential briefings," instead of "White House press briefings." As our research continues, we will update the date log listing to reflect additional briefings other than White House press briefings held on dates Guckert visited.

Article originally published Apr. 24, 2005.

[jd777]

*** can you imagine if a "male prostitute" was visting the clinton white house - and I'm not talking about Harold Ickes here, particulary on days when there was no press briefing - and the secret service was unable to provide a time of exit? My question: why didn't the secret service advise the white house (post 9/11) that gannon was unsuitable for private WH vistits let alone white house press corp.

[KJC1]

The Raw Story people are DU members, just FYI.

[ken5050]

All this "gurantees" is the Slaughter and Conyers will win re-election..Big surprise..

[funkywbr]

Can we get a view of Lewinsky's check in and check out times?

And BTW her tapes prvided some keen reporting too!~}

[areafiftyone]

Raw Story is a DU favorite. DU is still obsessing over the Gannon story. Just like the 2004 election fraud story they are still hoping to bring down Bush. They will be going after the Gannon story until the cows come home. Pathetic losers!

[WOSG]

"controversy"

what controversy? Lefties tried to create a firestorm, but there wasnt one. Gannon was no more biased than Dan Rather.

" surrounding disgraced White House correspondent"

what makes this particular gay journalist 'disgraced'?
The fact that his predilections are more Barney Frank and Andrew Sullivan -like?

Or the fact that he was not an anti-Bush liberal?

This whole article is bogus.

[MisterRepublican]

Yep, and DU and other left wing types are the only ones who still care about this non-story (if anyone else ever did).

Once hailed as THE scandal to bring down the dreaded Bush, even DU is having difficulty getting very enthused about this latest "BOMBSHELL" evidence that really doesn't mean anything.

[Zeroisanumber]

Over the next 22 months, Guckert failed to check out with the Service on fourteen days.

Pretty sloppy for White House security work.

[KJC1]

The guy who wrote this article is "rawstory" on DU, and his partner is "lala_rawraw" on DU. So this article was literally written by honest to God DUmmies.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....huh, did somebody say something? Gannon? Oh....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[b4its2late]

Monica didn't even have a pass. All she had to do was inhale.

[steveegg]

I wonder what would come out of a FOIA request for the log-in/log-out times for, say, the old gashag of the presstitute corps (no, I didn't say her name, so no pictures please; many stomachs will thank you for not posting them).

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

Why do people insist on cutting and pasting fourteen pages worth of material, especially when thirteen pages is just a list of dates and times that nobody will give a rat's ass about enough to actually read?

You ever hear of posting a link, McFly?

[jd777]

maybe the secret service gives a "rat's ass" .....

[writer33]

Get a rope!

:) Denote sarcasm.

[Dont Mention the War]

In what is unlikely to stem the controversy surrounding disgraced White House correspondent James Guckert...

Uh, the "controversy" lasted about an hour and a half amongst those that actually have reason to care, namely the White House staff and the rest of the WH press corps. The only people still trying to desperately drag this out are the DU crowd.

Go ahead, print all the Secret Service records on the front page of the New York Times. It's not going to change anything or have any permanent negative effect on the Administration. Knock yourselves out, RATS.

[Dont Mention the War]

*** can you imagine if a "male prostitute" was visting the clinton white house - and I'm not talking about Harold Ickes here, particulary on days when there was no press briefing - and the secret service was unable to provide a time of exit?

If nobody knew he was a male prostitute and he came and went day after day without incident, I would have no problem imagining this at all. Those who are trusted are not tracked like terrorists, period. (And by "trusted", I mean trusted not to cause trouble or danger for anyone inside the White House.)

My question: why didn't the secret service advise the white house (post 9/11) that gannon was unsuitable for private WH vistits let alone white house press corp.

This has been answered time and time again: Because he only got day passes. Those seeking day passes to the briefing room get only a rudimentary security check (have you ever killed anyone, been committed to a mental institution or otherwise shown yourself to be a dangerous nutcase, etc). Gannon/Guckert was and is perfectly suitable for WH visits unless the only thing constituting "suitability" is "Could the Democrats make hay out of him being there?" (And once it was discovered they could, the WH stopped letting him in.)

BTW, I guarantee you that there are others given daily access to the White House - including those who have passed the far more stringent security checks required for permanent passes - who lead private lives that are just as embarrassing as Gannon's, if not more so. They just haven't been caught, and 99% of them never will be. Such is the case in any organization comprised of thousands of employees and daily visitors, and was the case in the Clinton White House, the Bush 41 White House, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, and as far back as you want to go.

[WhiteGuy]

"BTW, I guarantee you that there are others given daily access to the White House........."

Like who?

[Dont Mention the War]

Like who?

I think my post was quite clear: It's about the numbers. I don't know exactly who, nor do I care. What people do in their private lives is their own business, as far as I'm concerned. They could start giving Gannon day passes again tomorrow morning and I'd be fine with it. Screw the Democrats.

[jd777]

They could start giving Gannon day passes again tomorrow morning and I'd be fine with it.

or we could just admit we made a mistake...