Plame Leaked by Fake News Source? Part II
Sat Jan 29, 2005 at 12:27:30 PM PDT
The fake news agency:
Talon News, a conservative company whose Washington bureau chief and White House correspondent Jeff Gannon is well-known for asking loaded pro-Republican questions at White House press briefings,appears to be more a political organization than a media outlet.
Media Matters for America recently highlighted three Gannon articles that were little more than reprints of Republican and Bush administration releases; Media Matters has also noted Gannon's role as White House press secretary Scott McClellan's lifeline and Talon editor in chief Bobby Eberle's partisan political activities. A more in-depth look at Talon,Gannon,and Eberle casts additional doubt on Talon's claim to be a media outlet and raises questions about whether Gannon should be a credentialed member of the White House press corps.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200501280006
The fake news reporter:
Special Treatment for Gannon?
According to sources, Jeff Gannon's real name is not, in fact, Jeff Gannon. According to the same sources, his White House press credentials list him as "Jeff Gannon" - they let him use his pseudonym -- even though married female reporters, who use their maiden name professionally, are given credentials with their married name and aren't allowed to be credentialed under their maiden names...
http://atrios.blogspot.com/2005_01_23_atrios_archive.html#110695056420863397
The CIA/Plame leak connection:
Talon News has learned that one of the journalists being targeted is Jeff Gannon, Washington Bureau Chief and White House correspondent for Talon News.
According to a subsequent Talon News story by Bobby Eberle regarding the Washington Post piece, "The Washington Post cites an unnamed source who says, 'The CIA is angry about the circulation of a still-classified document to conservative news outlets.'
They point to a memo referenced in a Talon News interview of Wilson that suggests his wife was instrumental in his selection for the fact-finding trip to Africa."
Talon News was the only service identified by the Washington Post as having knowledge of the memo's existence.
http://www.jeffgannon.com/Making%20News/federal_grand_jury_could_subpoen.htm
My first diary on this, with all the great research everyone is doing is here:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/28/203014/655
Later this evening or tomorrow, I will begin to compile and cross-reference what we have so far (unless someone else wants to volunteer).
For now, keep researching everyone and everything. If we have volunteers familiar with the FOIA process, that would be great to get started on too ... or to hook up with a group that does it.
Thanks so much - everyone! - for your help/research/enthusiasm for this. Even if it doesn't pan out as a scandal, it's a good dry run to see what we can find out and how we can coordinate as a group.
