'Gannon' Signs Off: Guckert Says He'll No Longer Talk to Press (Will only talk to lawyers)

Editor and Publisher ^ | 2/15/05

[KidGlock]

'Gannon' Signs Off: Guckert Says He'll No Longer Talk to Press

By Joe Strupp

Published: February 15, 2005 10:55 AM ET

NEW YORK James D. Guckert, the former White House reporter who's been accused of everything from asking partisan questions to being a male prostitute, is no longer speaking to the press, claiming it does not help his cause, he told E&P this morning.

"I talked to attorneys, and I am no longer talking to anyone [in the press] anymore," said Guckert, who has used the alias Jeff Gannon. "It doesn’t seem to clarify anything any longer. Everything I say, people start a new conspiracy theory. I am not going to answer any more questions. It seems to distract from what is really going on."

That approach is a shift from Guckert's activities in the past week, when he has appeared on CNN and National Public Radio and allowed several other news organizations, including E&P, to interview him.

Guckert, who says he is 47, said he was not planning any specific legal action related to recent events but had contacted an attorney just in case. "It's always good to have an attorney hanging around," he told E&P. "I'm not expecting anything, I am just listening to good advice."

The controversial reporter resigned last week from his job with obscure conservative Web site Talon News, which is operated by a Texas Republican activist, after revelations that he had changed his name and allegations that he had set up sexually oriented Web sites.

Since his resignation, questions about who should gain access to White House press events have grown, prompting a special meeting for later today between the leadership of the White House Correspondents' Association and Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan.

In addition, evidence emerged on the site Americablog yesterday suggesting that Guckert not only set up sex sites but also offered his services as a male prostitute. When asked by E&P today about such accusations, Gannon declined to confirm or deny. "I am not going to talk about that," he said.

He also would not comment on McClellan's statements to E&P in an interview yesterday, in which the White House spokesman claimed he did not know that Guckert used an alias until recently, never talked to Guckert outside the briefing room, and knew very little about Talon News.

When asked if he thought the recent coverage of him was fair, Guckert said only, "I think we have reached a new point in journalism. Other people will decide what is fair."

Guckert also would not rule out a future job in journalism, saying "it's way too early." He added, "I couldn't say. There are always lots of opportunities out there."

[pissant]

Did he fess up to his affair with Scotty Mc.? (just kidding)

[Peach]

#1. Freepers have reviewed the web sites in question and said it is impossible to determine if the person in the pictures is Gannon or not. It could easily be a set up. I've love to know when those web pages were established.

#2. I thought McClellan made plain yesterday that Gannon applied for his daily WH pass under his real name.

[Pikamax]

Yes and it was Editor and Publisher who quoted him.

"Since his resignation, questions about who should gain access to White House press events have grown, prompting a special meeting for later today between the leadership of the White House Correspondents' Association and Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan."

Who should gain access? How elitist of them.

[indcons]

In addition, evidence emerged on the site Americablog yesterday suggesting that Guckert not only set up sex sites but also offered his services as a male prostitute. When asked by E&P today about such accusations, Gannon declined to confirm or deny. "I am not going to talk about that," he said.

Please deny these nasty accusations then.

[yellowdoghunter]

I hope there is not more to this story. Time will tell.

[NonValueAdded]

Did Guckert / Gannon use an "alias" or simply a "nom de plume"? (pen-name for those reading in Rio Linda). I sense the latter and calling it an alias is biased spin from the MSM.

OK, let's call them at their game ... anyone know of "aliases" for prominent (or even not-so-prominent) members of Old Media?

[KidGlock]

Freepers have reviewed the web sites in question ...

I will have to take their word for it. A made the mistake of going to American Blog (or something like that) and almost puked when the first picture showed up.

I quickly exited, remove the page from my history (so my wife won't start wondering about me) and showered in industrial strength metal cleaner.

[Peach]

I won't go there either. Sounds horrible.

[thoughtomator]

Hopefully he's found some left-wing org he can sue into bankruptcy, thus the silence and the lawyers.

[KidGlock]

If somebody claimed I was a male prostitute, I would be able to deny that pretty forcefully without going to my lawyer.

[KidGlock]

Either that or he will start working for David Brock.

[BibChr]

"It's always good to have an attorney hanging around," he told E&P.

Funny... I've always found that to be a really bad thing!

Dan

PS -- well, except for friend/attorneys.

[KidGlock]

friend/attorneys

Beware, that is still an unproven theory.

[MineralMan]

"Please deny these nasty accusations then.
"

He's not going to do that because they're probably true. I can just imagine our reaction if he was a Dim.

Time to let this guy drift into oblivion, I'd say. I won't spend a single moment defending him in any way.

[indcons]

I just went to Americablog and the pics of Gannon on that blog look very similar to his other photos (though I cannot be certain). Appears to be the same man.

[Lancey Howard]

Should a partisan independent journalist have White House access?
Somebody like Helen Thomas for example?

[Balding_Eagle]

Thanks, you saved me from stepping into it.

[Nick Danger]

Freepers have reviewed the web sites in question and said it is impossible to determine if the person in the pictures is Gannon or not.

I have reviewed the web site in question and I am persuaded that the pictures are indeed Jeff Gannon. I should state here that I know Jeff Gannon, and have talked with him on numerous occasions. Suffice to say, I am stunned to find that this is how he spends his spare time.

On one hand, it's none of my business. But it's also true that Gannon was playing a pretty dumb and dangerous game. The more notoriety he got as a reporter, the more likely it was that somebody was going to "out" him, particularly since the vast majority of gays are flaming Democrats. He had to have known that "male prostitute" was not going to map happily onto "White House correspondent."

I'm sorry to see him go, because I thought he made some positive contributions. But this is a mess of his own making, and he needs to figure out how to deal with it. It sounds like that's what he's doing. I wish him luck.