WOW! Now it makes sense. I was trying to connect the dots and this may have been the missing piece.
Here's my theory.
Lockhart was already familiar with the documents from 2000 when Gore decided not to use them. He couldn't have Burkett pass them to him directly, so he used Mapes and CBS as an intermediary.
Mapes and Lockhart probably worked together on orchestrating the hand-off to cover themselves, but didn't think it all the way through.
Good theory...when the Swift vet ads popped up the rats actually had little choice but to throw a "hail Mary" pass.
Guess what? It was intercepted by our illustrious comrades on this site.
The Lord works in strange ways.