Congresswoman Asks for Probe After 'Gannon' Quits WH Reporting Post

Editor and Publisher ^ | 2/9/05

[KidGlock]

Congresswoman Asks for Probe After 'Gannon' Quits WH Reporting Post

By Joe Strupp

Published: February 09, 2005 updated 2:00 PM ET

NEW YORK Jeff Gannon, the controversial reporter for conservative Web site Talon News who drew complaints for gaining access to White House press events, resigned from his job last night amid liberal blogs' allegations about his real name and his personal and professional life.

Today, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to President Bush asking him to "address the matter" in light of "mounting evidence that your Administration has, on several occasions, paid members of the media to advocate in favor of Administration policies."

Last night, in a message on his Web site (www.jeffgannon.com), Gannon announced: "Because of the attention being paid to me I find it is no longer possible to effectively be a reporter for Talon News. In consideration of the welfare of me and my family I have decided to return to private life. Thank you to all those who supported me."

In an e-mail to E&P last Friday, not published until now, Gannon wrote: "Much has been made about whether I use a professional name or not, but I am reluctant to provide information one way or another because of the threats that have been made against my person, property and family in both internet postings ... as well as in e-mails that I have forwarded to law enforcement. I'm sure you understand."

E&P has not been able to reach Gannon again today.

Gannon, whose real name, according to investigators at DailyKos and other blogs, is James "J.D." Guckert, first gained attention several weeks ago when he asked a question at a presidential press conference that some in the press corps considered so friendly it might have been planted. Later it was revealed by E&P that Gannon had been turned down last year for a congressional press pass because he could not prove his employer was a valid news organization. That denial barred him from receiving a White House "hard pass," allowing regular access to White House press events.

But Gannon had been obtaining daily White House press passes, a situation that had irked some veteran White House reporters who also questioned his credentials or considered him to be too partisan in his questioning.

Gannon's refusal to deny he used a fake name sparked investigations by a number of blogs, including Daily Kos, Eschaton, and World O' Crap, that probed his true identity. In addition, those sites posted allegations yesterday that Web sites such as hotmilitarystud.com, militaryescorts.com, and militaryescortsm4m.com, were registered to the same owner as Gannon's personal Web site, according to the blog MediaCitizen.

In her letter to President Bush, Rep. Slaughter charged that "it appears that 'Mr. Gannon's' presence in the White House press corps was merely as a tool of propaganda for your Administration."

Dan Froomkin, the Washington Post columnist, said today in an online chat, "I had less of a beef with Gannon than I did with the folks who actually on him (at press conferences)." He said "the heat should be on" Bush spokesman Scott McClellan: "Why did he call on Gannon? Did they ever pre-arrange anything? Did they have contact with his parent organization?"

Another intriguing issue is his involvement, along with better known Robert Novak, Judith Miller and others, in the Valerie Plame/CIA episode. His name turned up on a list of reporters targeted for questioning by the federal prosecutor in the case. Froomkin of the The Washington Post wrote last spring that "the reason Gannon is on the list is most likely an attempt to find out who gave him a secret memo that he mentioned in an interview he had with Plame's husband, former ambassador and administration critic Joseph Wilson."

The Talon News site today scrubbed its archives of many "Gannon" articles and removed his biography.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joe Strupp (jstrupp@editorandpublisher.com) is a senior editor at E&P.

[Willie Green]

It pains me to see FReepers jumping all over him with nothing more than the say-so of the leftists and the fact that Jeff resigned from his job.

Well it certainly would help stifle the rabid lefties if Jeff simply clarified a few basic biographical facts, like where he went to school and how old he is. Cripes, how can you defend somebody who won't defend himself???

[Kaslin]

Daily Kos is nothing but a left wing site. No one should pay any attention to them

[kcvl]

Please save my post for Jeff in case he wants it for EVIDENCE!

[kcvl]

The political partnership of Armstrong Zúniga (AZ) was formed in January of 2003, by Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas Zúniga. From 2001 through 2002, Jerome’s popular weblog served as the original nexus for the decentralized netroots effort of Howard Dean’s presidential campaign. Markos began DailyKos.com during the summer of 2002 (now the most popular political weblog with over 3 million monthly visits).

[Rightly Biased]

I'll bookmark this thread.

[Gabz]

It wouldn't surprise me if several already have and are just respecting his privacy.

[krb]

Congresswoman Asks for Probe

Hmmmm....

[woofie]

I noticed the local (Albuquerque)leftist rag covered the story on this guy ...my God what a major story!!! ...not

[cyncooper]

Hang on...I was looking for a list of reporters who have been subpoened in the Plame matter (the way the reference this thread article is made it archly hints if one is subpoened, one is somehow complicit with the WH and we know of scads of dem symps who have been called) and I found a reference to the memo that predates Gannon's interview!

I don't have an account at the WSJ and am too lazy to sign up right now to read the whole thing, but here's the FR thread and some posts fill in some info:

Memo May Aid Leak Probe

October 17, 2003

It was not only Gannon who had heard about the "secret" memo unlike the latest dem spin/lie.

[kcvl]

This is probably why he is not answering anyone. I don't blame him! He has a bunch of KOOKS after him!!!

I hope he reports them to the authorities and have them arrested for harassment!

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:KkdO4SpNzV8J:dailykos.com/story/2005/2/8/14939/83315+James+%22J.D.%22+Guckert&hl=en

[ArmyBratproud]

So they were working with the Dean folks for a long time.

I wonder if Zuniga has ever disclosed that to people who go to his web page.

I wonder if they used those sites to violate any campaign finance laws.

[Gabz]

Well it certainly would help stifle the rabid lefties if Jeff simply clarified a few basic biographical facts, like where he went to school and how old he is.

You've got to be kidding me..........what difference does it make where he went to school or how old he is?

Cripes, how can you defend somebody who won't defend himself???

How do you know he is not defending himself.........just because he's not posting here means nothing. Did it ever cross your mind that maybe he was advised to not say anything publicly?

Having had threats made against me, first as a reporter, and later as a lobbyist, I know full well about not discussing said threats publicly. I can talk about them now because both events happened years ago.........not within the VERY recent past.

Let's cut the man some slack and stop jumping to conclusions because he happens to be remaining silent at the moment.

[Southack]

"A group of dKos diarists have been peeling away the layers of Gannon's fake persona, summarized by World O'Crap. In one of those diaries, this revelation is made by Radically Bitter: Among the domains owned by Gannon/Guckert are these:

jeffgannon.com
Hotmilitarystud.com
Militaryescorts.com
Militaryescortsm4m.com

---

Freeper Southack responds: Registrant:
 Bedrock Corp
 4001 Kennett Pike
 Wilmington, DE 19807
 US

 

 Domain name: JEFFGANNON.COM

 

 Administrative Contact:
 Daniels, J. bedrockcorp@bedrock.com

---

Registrant:
Bedrock Corp
4001 Kennett Pike
Wilmington, DE 19807
US

Domain name: HOTMILITARYSTUD.COM

Administrative Contact:
Daniels, J. bedrockcorp@aol.com

[cyncooper]

Be sure to see my post at #109. Today's dem spin is that Gannon was the only reporter who had heard of this "secret memo" and then asked Wilson about it and I found a WSJ article about the "secret memo" that predates Gannon's Wilson interview.

[kcvl]

I think Sean Hannity also had a copy of the leaked memo. They won't go after him because he will fight back. I hope Jeff does too, but he doesn't have a television and radio show to blast them everyday like Hannity does.

Maybe when Rush gets back he will take them on since all of this started after Rush mentioned Jeff's name.

[Willie Green]

..........what difference does it make where he went to school or how old he is?

It goes straight to credibility. "Know your source."
Is he actually a reporter, or simply reading a script written by Karl Rove.
Good grief. With all the digging into the background of the biased lamestream media on this forum over the last 7+ years, it is EMBARRASSING to see the 'bots trying to stonewall the simple question "who is this guy?"

It´s such an easy question,
Why can´t I get an answer?

~ E. Presley, March 18, 1962

[A Citizen Reporter]

"Is he actually a reporter, or simply reading a script written by Karl Rove."

Sad sack, you are, willy. But totally predictable.

[Gabz]

I happen to know he is a reporter........in fact at CPAC last year we were comparing notes on some stories we had both covered, for different media and from different locations, in Delaware.

Am I going to share personal information about the man with people I don't know?.......of course not.

The man has indicated there have been at least hints of threats against him and his family.......as I said, having been in that position his remaining silent at the moment is a prudent move.

Do I care if you like it? No I don't.

Unless you have something relevent to say to me, please keep your prurient curiosity confined to others who might care and leave me alone.

[Edit35]

Would the White House let people in the same room as the president without some kind of background or ID check?

As someone in the journalism business, I can attest to the fact that a lot of people use "professional" writing names, as do many movie stars, novelists, etc.

A number of writers, it seems, were born with really crappy names.

[MarkL]

Gee, nobody ever questioned the "fawning press" over their gushing love for the clintons...

Like when a certain, nameless, "hard news reporter" wished that he could be a fraction as "good" as the clintons.

Disgusting...

Besides, the rats never needed to pay the MSM to get their propaganda out... The MSM was simply the public relations arm of the leftist wing of the demonRAT party.

Mark