John Chafee is dead. And Warner never would say this - he wouldn't say you know what if he had a mouth full of it.
Like you, I don't believe any of this - that's not to say that I think he's not hiding something, he clearly is, but no former Secretary of the Navy would run the risk of criminal prosecution by making such a statement. That's patently ridiculous.
I am not so sure. Having a traitor in the White House may be enough for even a career politician to come clean.