Posted on 09/23/2004 11:23:57 AM PDT by Thanatos
CBS Prepares For Legal Action Over Forged Documents
By Jeff Gannon
Talon News
September 23, 2004
WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- On the same day CBS announced the appointment of an independent commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding forged documents aired during a "60 Minutes" segment, the company girded for legal action in the matter. On Wednesday, Anthony Bongiorno, counsel for the beleaguered network ordered a legal hold on all tapes and material relating to the report.
Bongiorno did not return a telephone call seeking additional information, but a Talon News source reported that the hold was a response to legal action that was expected following the independent commission's investigation. Bill Burkett, the admitted source of the forgeries, is threatening to sue the network for libel. Fraud charges may ultimately be filed and an investigation by Congress or the Federal Election Commission is likely.
The source also described a contentious split in the Washington office of the news organization. It was CBS Washington bureau chief Janet Leissner who orchestrated the fateful interview in which CBS correspondent John Roberts confronted White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett with the phony documents. Anchor Dan Rather was originally scheduled to do the interview.
Pressure on the network continues to increase as the ratings for its news programming plummets. A protest rally outside CBS's Washington headquarters Wednesday by members of FreeRepublic.com brought more unwelcome publicity and reflected the backlash occurring against CBS affiliates across the country.
Affiliates' switchboards and station managers' e-mail inboxes have been filling up with angry complaints from viewers that range from dishonest reporting to helping Democrats oust President Bush. The revelation that the producer of the "60 Minutes" report, Mary Mapes, contacted Joe Lockhart, a senior advisor to the Kerry campaign, contributed to the appearance of coordination.
Network executives hope to mitigate the negative impact of the scandal in the speedy appointment of the commission. Dick Thornburgh, former governor of Pennsylvania and Attorney General under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush was selected along with Louis D. Boccardi, retired president and chief executive officer of the Associated Press, to comprise the independent review panel.
The scope of the investigation has not yet been made public, but observers suggest it will need to be broad and deep to salvage the network's reputation. The internal structure will most certainly be examined, but the motives behind editorial decisions will need to be looked into as well.
CBS has reportedly been following on the story about Bush's Texas Air National Guard since before the 2000 election. Former Gore campaign manager Tony Coelho recently said that he was aware of the rumors about gaps in Bush's service record during that campaign, but decided to not to make an issue of it.
GO KRISTINN!!!
After this is all over he will need to change his last name to Arrivederci.
FReeRepublic Pajama vs See BS memogate ping!!
"ordered a legal hold on all tapes and material relating to the report."
Paper shredders at CBS now operating 24/7.
I shudder at the notion that the awful Gore campaign was more competent than the Kerry campaign. But I think Coelho is being disingenuous, the Guard issue was most assuredly brought up in 2000, they just didn't have all the phony documents to pass along back then.
They didn't have a Kinko's office in Memphis yet...
So admit the documents are forged and retract the story, already.
SeeBS is toast. They're now reverting to their backup - the courts - for a period of time to regroup to see how they can best continue to advance their anti-Bush message so close to the election. SeeBS will have to sacrifice someone - Mapes, Rather, whoever - but they still have an election to manipulate and time is not on their side.
So when does the criminal investigation into forging Texas Air National Guard documents start?
Anyone's guess. It might be perceived as too hot before the election.
So admit the documents are forged and retract the story, already.
I agree js1138. Remember Rush pointing to everything aims at Travis County Texas? Austin is in Travis County. Robin is in Austin. Rather (Dan) got caught at a Democratic fund raiser there for/with his daughter Robin. Instinct tells me she is the source & main culprit here and Dan Rather is trying to protect his daughter!
Click here to see where Robin Rather works and what her background in media is. Services she provides include:
Researching your target audience, similar campaigns, established trends and the competition allows us to build a foundation that supports your social marketing campaign. EnviroMedia uses the country's most innovative attitude and behavioral marketing resources to create campaigns your target audiences will embrace. Research leads to phenomenal results for our clients.
Also, this is from a message board.
Gore was the VP of an admitted draft dodger, and his own military experience is questionable. He was a Senator's son, indeed.
I'm sure Rather's daughter is up to her eyeballs, if only with prior knowledge.
The dems have been preparing this assault for at least as long as Michael Moore has been planning his movie. Someone pretty high up was certain that the documents could be produced on que.
...broard and deep to salvage the network's reputation...
Wait a minute, I thought one major point of the investigation was to determine the extent of the network's culpability and whether it deserved to have its reputation salvaged.
Sounds like conclusion is already on hand and just awaiting some sham motions. Wonder if the panel's report is already drafted (hey Dan and Mapes, be sure to use the correct font).
Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., talks to former U.N. Ambassador and senior advisor to the Kerry-Edwards campaign, Richard Holbrooke, right, outside the CBS studio in Washington Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004, after being interviewed on CBS's "Face the Nation". Hagel said Sunday that a sharp analysis of our policies in Iraq is required. "We didn't do that in Vietnam, and we saw 11 years of casualties mount to the point where we finally lost". (AP Photo/CBS Face the Nation, Karin Cooper)
Lucy Ramirez?
Someone could/should go to prison over this !!
"Gosh, I'm sure glad Sen Kerry told me how to use a gun."
" This is how I won my medals for bravery in Vietnam."
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