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

[happygrl]

The recent revelations are as disturbing as anything I've pondered about the Democrats (excepting Clinton's treason).

The "loyal opposition" seems to be something of a long-ago America.

I truly fear for my country now.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you, William - and for your #122  letter to Japan Today. The press is overdue for a BIG DOSE of accountability from 'we the people'.

 

***

Dear Freepers, Doug was right about one article very damaging to the Democrats. Check the date, remember the war coverage. I've been forwarding this to press and pols and friends for weeks. Now, Doug prints an article with a damnable headline, and then finds out his 20-year source is bogus?

 

It wouldn't be the first time a person backpeddled to save themselves - or their family. It happened for over 24 years in Iraq. It happens in other nations led by Organized Crime leaders daily.

 

It this article wasn't based on real DNC talking points,  Mr. Thompson had ESP:

 

*Dems plan to undermine America to beat Bush

---

How I Was Smeared  ~ Harry Stein's eye-opening personal account (revenge of the VLWC media).

[PhiKapMom]

You have posted exactly what I have been saying on this thread. Believe the Clinton DemocRATs are behind this anti-Bush campaign with their lapdogs in the media. Letters to the editor in my paper all have the same Anti-Bush spin.

Article after article has anonymous sources quoted on things I know are bogus about this White House and DoD. How many times as SoS Colin Powell had to say the article was wrong he didn't say that but yet it was in quotes in an article.

I used to think it was sloppy journalism -- but no more -- it planned and when something dirty is happening to Republicans look no further that the Clintons who control DNC with an iron fist -- especially Hillary!

That 20-year scam doesn't pass the smell test IMO.

[SpookBrat]

Bizarre to say the least. I've been following this story and thinking it through. Thanks for the ping.

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks! The more I think about this the more convinced I am that Doug Thompson and his anonymous source now with a name are the tip of the iceberg.

[Scenic Sounds]

You knew this con 20 years and had no idea about him? Either you're lying, or are gullible beyond belief. I don't think you are that gullible.

Bullseye! ;-)

"I will track this guy down." - Doug Thompson

[MJY1288]

If you asked me, I would say that Bob Schrum and Carville are behind this with Bubba's input. This is a typical Carville smear job

[Pegita]

Add to the mix that Doug trips up on the spelling of Wilkinson ... where Doug's "source" said that he wants to go public with his WH meeting, Doug spells his name as "Wilkinsson" ... otherwise, it reads throughout as "Wilkinson" ... must be the trauma of typing out his "apology" ...

[jpl]

I respect someone who is big enough to admit that he made a mistake.

[hoosiermama]

That 20-year scam doesn't pass the smell test IMO.

I disagree. My ex was a news person. The are overworked and are under constant pressure from deadlines to produce. They often have trusted source people and/or "borrow" from other news sources just to meet the deadline and fill the space.
Any one who is familiar with these tactics could (and often do) set themselves up as "a reliable source". Feed some true information intermixed with lies. (Isn't that how spies work?)
I do believe that there may be many planted sources working against and weakening our government (not just Bush). What better way than through the news media. (a fifth column at work) We find it easy to attach the news media, maybe we should be attacking their sources? The reporters become their puppets.

Twenty years to use a person is not unbelievable.

[Sabertooth]

Let me ask you something... Which is more of a scandal, that the Democrats are using talking points to advance their agenda, or that the Republicans haven't made effective use of talking points in the last eight-plus years?

[JoeSixPack1]

Morons like you are a dime a dozen, even in the suck. Was it too taxing for your brain to read further into the thread than post #11 or are you just in line to sit under Doug's desk while he phones his friends?

Doug claimed his innocence. Kudos to you for loving his mia culpa.

Read on lemming or go sign up as a liberal.

---

To: Doug Thompson

I stand down, awaiting the goodies. :-)

Thank you for the response.

213 posted on 07/09/2003 9:15 PM EDT by JoeSixPack1 (POW/MIA - Bring 'em home, or send us back! Semper Fi)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 197 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

[PhiKapMom]

Told my daughter this morning that I need one of those big blackboards on the wall to keep track of all of this! There are so many links on here that need kept in one location.

The puzzle pieces are numerous but I would bet when it is finished, it will point right at Hillary Clinton and her stooges. The Clinton DemocRATs want Pres Bush attacked and brought and brought down. It is not going to work, but they are getting nastier and nastier.

Too many anonymous names turning up with quotes from closed meetings. Not a lazy press corps -- rotten press corps comes to mind that will spin anything for the Clinton DemocRATs. Bet the number of journalist with ethics is very small these days. Remember that Hillary goes back to Watergate where that investigative arm would leak damaging information and some of it turned out to be false. She got her start with a corrupt bunch of people and she has taken corruptness to new heights IMHO!

Someone should design a fashionable tin foil hat instead of the pointy one! You are right -- plenty of us are going to be wearing them.

[PhiKapMom]

Way to go! The more you read Doug's "apology" the more the stench rises!

[hoosiermama]

his anonymous source now with a name are the tip of the iceberg.

YES I believe you are correct. The reason the dems have gotten by with so much is they know how to manipulate the media. But they ARE not the only ones who have used it. I believe AC is on to something with SLANDER and TREASON. If we could just combine those two premises. Bias may equal spies.

Let's hope the media starts cleaning their own house.

[JoeSixPack1]

It just all doesn't add up. I too smell a clintonian rat.

[PhiKapMom]

The problem with the RAT Talking Points is that they are mostly lies! I have seen some of them. Truth and their talking points are not friends.

I don't think the GOP has done a good job at all of getting our talking points to the public for everyone to use. I get email of fact sheets to use in defending the President on a wide variety of issues but they need wide distribution.

That's why we post RNC Research articles and started Countdown to Victory '04 for the grassroots. It allows some of that information to get publicized.

Believe that RNC has taken giant leaps forward in the last few years. In 2000, I was part of a group asking the RNC Reps to oust Nicholson during the primaries. I refused to give them any money in 2000 and donated direct to the campaign because I thought they were so bad.

Give you an example -- we put up a thread on here about suggestions for campaign ads for Bush-Cheney because the ones they had were rotten and if you saw the ones that didn't make it -- they were even worse. I sent almost 100 pages of suggestions to Bush-Cheney in Austin and to RNC. Received the nicest letter back from Austin which I shared on here and received zero, zip, nada from RNC.

Now RNC is catching up! And I will guarantee you that the new site for Bush-Cheney -- the permanent one that will be launched shortly will have all kinds of information for us to use to spread the message. 2004 is going to be a whole lot different and you can take that to the bank.

[PhiKapMom]

I used to joke when something went bad for Republicans or the Country that it was the Clintons fault -- I don't joke anymore. I believe it is true!

[cyncooper]

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

[hoosiermama]

Yes, we have not used the media to get our message across. It's not the medias fault. It is the GOPs fault.
LLok how certain Dems hog the cameras! Many REP are much to polite and proper for that!
Let's use the news!