BREAKING: Conned big time "CIA Witness" to White House Lying about Intel story found to be FRAUD

Capitol Hill Blue ^ | July 9, 2003 | Doug Thompson

[Doug Thompson]

Damn, I hate it when I've been had and I've been had big time.

In 1982, while I was working for Congressman Manuel Lujan of New Mexico, a man came up to a me during a gathering in Albuquerque and introduced himself as Terrance J. Wilkinson. He said he was a security consultant and gave me a business card with his name and just a Los Angeles phone number.

A few weeks later, he called my Washington office and asked to meet for lunch. He seemed to know a lot about the nuclear labs in New Mexico and said he had conducted "security profiles" for both Los Alamos and Sandia National Labs. Lujan served on the committee with oversight on both labs and he offered his services if we ever needed briefings.

We already had nuclear experts on the committee, on loan from the Department of Energy, and we never used Wilkinson for briefings but we kept in touch over the years. He said he had served in Vietnam with Army Special Force, worked for Air America, later for the FBI and as a consultant for the CIA. He said he had helped other Republican members of Congress I called some friends in other GOP offices and they said yes, they knew Terry Wilkinson.

"You can trust him, he's one of the good guys," one chief of staff told me. When I left politics and returned to journalism, Wilkinson became a willing, but always unnamed, source.

Over the last couple of years, Wilkinson served as either a primary or secondary source on a number of stories that have appeared in Capitol Hill Blue regarding intelligence activities. In early stories, I collaborated his information with at least one more source. His information usually proved accurate and, over time, I came to depend on him as a source without additional backup.

On Tuesday, we ran a story headlined "White House admits Bush wrong about Iraqi nukes." For the first time, Wilkinsson said he was willing to go on the record and told a story about being present, as a CIA contract consultant, at two briefings with Bush. He said he was retired now and was fed up and wanted to go public.

"He (Bush) said that if the current operatives working for the CIA couldn't prove the story was true, then the agency had better find some who could," Wilkinson said in our story. "He said he knew the story was true and so would the world after American troops secured the country."

After the story ran, we received a number of emails or phone calls that (1) either claimed Wilkinson was lying or (2) doubted his existence. I quickly dismissed the claims. After all, I had known this guy for 20+ years and had no doubt about his credibility. Some people wanted to talk to him, so I forwarded those requests on to him via email. He didn't answer my emails, which I found odd. I should have listened to a bell that should have been going off in my ear.

Today, a White House source I know and trust said visitor logs don't have any record of anyone named Terrance J. Wilkinson ever being present at a meeting with the President. Then a CIA source I trust said the agency had no record of a contract consultant with that name. "Nobody, and I mean nobody, has ever heard of this guy," my source said.

I tried calling Terry's phone number. I got a recorded message from a wireless phone provider saying the number was no longer in service. I tried a second phone number I had for him. Same result.

Then a friend from the Hill called.

"You've been had," she said. "I know about this guy. He's been around for years, claiming to have been in Special Forces, with the CIA, with NSA. He hasn't worked for any of them and his name is not Terrance Wilkinson."

Both of his phone numbers have Los Angeles area codes but an identity check through Know-X today revealed no record of anyone named Terrance J. Wilkinson ever having lived in LA or surrounding communities.

His email address turns out to be a blind forward to a free email service where anyone can sign up and get an email account. Because it was not one of the usual "free" services like Hotmail, Yahoo or such, I did not recognize it as one (although you'd think that someone like me would have known better).

The bottom line is that someone has been running a con on me for 20 some years and I fell for it like a little old lady in a pigeon drop scheme. I've spent the last two hours going through the database of Capitol Hill Blue stories and removing any that were based on information from Wilkinson (or whoever he is). I've also removed his name, quotes and claims from Tuesday's story about the White House and the uranium claims.

Erasing the stories doesn't erase the fact that we ran articles containing informattion that, given the source, were most likely inaccurate. And it doesn't erase the sad fact that my own arrogance allowed me to be conned.

It will be a long time (and perhaps never) before I trust someone else who comes forward and offers inside information. The next one who does had better be prepared to produce a birth certificate, a driver's license and his grandmother's maiden name.

Any news publication exists on the trust of its readers. Because I depended on a source that was not credible, I violated the trust that the readers of Capitol Hill Blue placed in me.

I was wrong. I am sorry.

© Copyright 2003 by Capitol Hill Blue

[Neets]

Hi Toots...you raise an excellent point ST!!

I have alway gone on record as saying that the Pubs do not do enough to further their agenda..

Politics is a dirty occupation...not for the weak kneed...not for the meek or timid...the Pubs need to shout their TALKING POINTS-COUNTER TALKING POINTS from the highest mountain...and stop pussy footing around, acting all scardey cat about wearing the "BIG MEANIE" sign.

[PhiKapMom]

Take my word -- there is a war going on and it is for the soul of this Country IMO and I don't believe that is too over the top. I thought the war was being fought with the Clintons in 2000, but then they went after Jeb in 2000 and threw all kinds of money into Florida to defeat Jeb, and believe it is even worse right now!

If the Clinton's could take out President Bush and make it so bad that he would have a hard time winning, you would see Hillary jump in the race in 2004. That couple will do anything to gain power. Notice how these stories about Bush Lied started with the British press right after they were in Britain. I refuse to believe in coincidences.

I believe this is the tip of the iceberg of "anonymous" sources and would bet they head right back to the Clinton camp. The number of Anti-Bush articles I see on here and get in my email defies my belief. A lot I know are made up of lies like Thompsons. I am sure some people get tired of my email asking them to verify something.

Too many anonymous sources that quote what people say in meetings. I don't know how many times that Colin Powell has had to come out and say he didn't say that. I finally signed on to the State Department newssite to get their press releases so I could read for myself.

Something is rotten and believe this deal with Thompson is the tip of the iceberg.

[hoosiermama]

Tin foil hat: It goes beyond CLinton. It's the Left Wing that CLintons represent!

[mware]

I sure wish General Jack Singlaub was a lurker. If anyone could find out if there is a Terrance J.Wilkinson it would be him..

He was one of founding members of CIA and helped develop the US Special Forces.

I know the general is a conservative since he has attended the CPAC conference for years.

[Scenic Sounds]

Hmm. According to that forum Doug Thompson is taking some "well-deserved" time off.

"I've turned everything over to my attorney," - Doug Thompson

;-)

[PhiKapMom]

Republicans need a think tank for all of this to combine all together. I believe there are tentacles everywhere and if someone could put them all together they would show who is behind this Anti-Bush attack that is going on -- IMO, it is the Clintons and their minions.

I thought it was bad in 2000, but it is getting worse and believe it will get even worse than this!

[hoosiermama]

So contact him. Someone at CPAC should be able to help you.

[PhiKapMom]

I thanked him for posting this because it gave an absolute insight into what he and probably others are up to. Truthfully I cannot believe he was dumb enough to post this! He must think that people on here cannot read and comprehend!

That 20-year con does not pass the smell test nor does much else of what he said.

[PhiKapMom]

And the money that was behind the Clintons all along!

[Zack Nguyen]

Wow. I respect your integrity. God bless.

[Registered]

From the Reader Rant forum at CHB:

Kath
Administrator
Member # 739

posted 10-07-2003 11:09 AM

Doug is taking some well-deserved time off, which is why I'm here. Why not give the man a break?

Kath

---

Posts: 482 | From: Washington, DC | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged |


Well, looks like Doug has bailed out. Hmmm.

[jpl]

There are so many charlatans, con-men, and people with agendas out there in this day and age. That's why it is so important for people who report the news to not just take anything at face value anymore. Any source of information needs to be thoroughly scrutinized and vetted ten ways to Sunday. I wish journalism would go back to the way it used to be, where editors were extremely reluctant to use any sources unless they were willing to go "on the record". Watergate really changed everything, and not all for the better in my opinion.

I can't help but wonder just how many stories broken in major newspapers have been based on faulty information put out by frauds.

[Pegita]

Whatever the disaster, PKM, I always ask ... "Where's Marc Rich?"

[alnick]

Has MSNBC let the public down?

Yes, considering that the British government says that the forged document was but one piece of intelligence which indicated that Saddam sought to buy uranium from Africa. It makes me furious that this is being swept under the rug.

[JoeSixPack1]

I would love to see the final investigative results into this guy "Wilkinson". Probably turn out to be old snake head himself.

And leave it to Sharpton to add fuel to the fire, Tawana Brawly(sp) style. He's already calling for impeachment hearings because of this.

[Scenic Sounds]

Well, looks like Doug has bailed out. Hmmm.

"I'll keep folks posted" - Doug Thompson

[PhiKapMom]

The man with the money behind the Clintons -- would say you are right on with that comment!

[cyncooper]

Last night on Hardball, the guests couldn't agree on who sponsored Wilson's Niger trip. I want us to remember Caspar Weinberger is already on the front lines for Bush/Cheney. I want us to remember that David Gergen politely, but resolutely argued it was the CIA that sent Wilson to Niger. I want us to remember how this position dovetails with the above MSNBC column.

I mean, why would Joseph Wilson had reported back to the CIA, if Cheney were the one who sent him on the mission?? And really, why in the hell would Dick Cheney have sent Clinton operative Joseph Wilson on a cloak and dagger mission? That doesn't even pass the make sense test.

Thank you for these links and the information. This Wilson story is being relied on heavily, and the DU(h)ers are rallying, saying "forget Wilkinson, remember Wilson!" as if Wilson's story has been fully supported. Notice that Wilson's report isn't even that there was no transaction, but that it was unlikely.

The only clarification I would add is that Wilson served in this capacity:

Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, IV

~snip~

From 1988 to 1991, he was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. During "Desert Shield" he was the acting Ambassador and was responsible for the freeing of several hundred American hostages. He was the last official American to meet with Saddam Hussein before "Desert Storm."

Then after that,you are correct--he was a clinton operative.

[PhiKapMom]

I can't help but wonder just how many stories broken in major newspapers have been based on faulty information put out by frauds.

Isn't that the truth! The old rule of double sourcing seems to have flown out the window!

[mware]

YaYa, the Cap Weinberg interview was on Hannity and Colmes. I think it was on Tuesday, 07/08/03. Perhaps they have transcrips of the interview.