Posted on Thu, Sep. 23, 2004Burkett denies working for Kerry campaign
Key figure in document controversy says "CBS duped me"
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
The man at the center of a controversy over a CBS report on President Bush's military service denied Thursday that he was working in conjunction with the presidential campaign for Democrat John Kerry.
Bill Burkett, a former commander in the Texas Air National Guard and a critic of Bush's past service in the Guard, told the Star-Telegram in an interview that he still believes that memos he gave to CBS are authentic.
But he said that he had warned the television network to independently verify the reports before it aired them.
The memos, which are purportedly from a Guard commander who wrote that Bush was failing military requirements and that another commander was trying to "sugar coat" Bush's performance, are now widely believed to be forged.
The interview with the Star-Telegram is one of Burkett's first since CBS identified him as a source last week.
Burkett said Thursday that he received the documents earlier this year from an unidentified man at the Houston stock show. Later, he said, CBS approached him about disclosing reports about Bush's service in the Guard and that he "reluctantly" agreed to hand over the memos.
Burkett denied his actions were done at the behest of the Kerry campaign, although he acknowledged -- as has Kerry's campaign -- that he spoke with a staff worker about Bush.
Burkett said he thinks that CBS and anchor Dan Rather have tried to make him the "fall guy" in the dispute. He said Rather interviewed him for 3 ½ hours last week but used only portions of the tape that made Burkett look bad.
He also said that "CBS duped me" by identifying him as the source of the documents.
"Dan Rather ruined me in front of 70 million people," Burkett said.
Burkett, who said he is in poor health, said that since the controversy began he has received hate mail -- including death threats -- and that he has suffered four seizures.
He continues to run a ranch with his wife near Baird in West Texas.
