Dan Blather's report was handed to him by the CBS Legal Department, because CBS may be subject to fines and sanctions if it can be shown that they maliciously used "evidence" against a public offical that was known to be fraudulant.
Fines? This must be a felony to forge documents like this. I want to see people in jail and CBS grovel.
Has to be "intentional." In a country with straight judges, that mightn't be difficult to prove.
"Dan Blather's report was handed to him by the CBS Legal Department, because CBS may be subject to fines and sanctions if it can be shown that they maliciously used "evidence" against a public offical that was known to be fraudulant."
I think you nailed it. If Rather admitted to being duped, or heaven forbid having been part of the con, there would have been heavy liability. This way, they just claim they did their best.