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Feds Arrest Fox News Commentator

dimensionallava

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Its only a matter of time until they are all under arrest :2razz:


A regular guest commentator on Fox News who has been lying for years about working for the Central Intelligence Agency was arrested on Thursday and is being charged in connection with falsely claiming he worked as an “Outside Paramilitary Special Operations Officer” for the CIA for nearly three decades.

Wayne Simmons, a 62-year-old who lives in Annapolis, Maryland, was arrested by federal authorities following his indictment by a federal grand jury for allegedly committing major fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements to the government. Simmons claims to have worked for the CIA from 1973 to 2000, and "used that false claim in an attempt to obtain government security clearances and work as a defense contractor, including at one point successfully getting deployed overseas as an intelligence advisor to senior military personnel," according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia.

In court documents, federal prosecutors alleged that Simmons had a "significant criminal history, including convictions for a crime of violence and firearms offenses, and is believed to have had an ongoing association with firearms notwithstanding those felony convictions." They successfully petitioned a judge to keep Simmons' indictment sealed until his arrest today, noting that Simmons "has a history of acting in an aggressive manner, and is likely aware of the imminent nature of the charges in this case."

Feds Arrest Fox News Commentator, Allege He Lied About CIA Past
 
Lots of questions here:

Fox never vetted this guy? Well, maybe not, I'm guessing he was anti-Obama on everything so Fox put him on, no questions asked.

including at one point successfully getting deployed overseas as an intelligence advisor to senior military personnel,"

And LOL. He fooled the pentagon? That's great huh?

And got to wonder about this guy. He's on TV, lying like crazy and didn't think he'd be caught? Usually people like this lie low. But he goes on TV? Sounds a little delusional.

What a Joke.
 
Fox never vetted this guy? Well, maybe not, I'm guessing he was anti-Obama on everything so Fox put him on, no questions asked.

Or you know, looking at this from something other than a partisan "OMG MUST KILL FAUX NEWS!" mindset....they likely did some standard vetting of him, but given his fraud was solid enough to fool the ****ing pentagon than it likely was able to withstand the initial vetting from a news agency.

Absolutely crazy story that he was able to carry on the ruse that long and at that high of a level.
 
The federal government, who he claimed he had worked for, got duped by this guy to the point that they hired and deployed him overseas as an intelligence advisor to senior military personnel, and got a Security Clearance... and all the left can do is jump on Fox News?

How was Fox supposed to be able to vet a guy that was so good at lying, that he fooled the federal government into issuing him a freaking security clearance? If he was deployed overseas as an intelligence advisor to Senior Military personnel, that means he was issued a TS/SCI clearance, which means he found a way to beat multiple polygraphs.

I think that this time, we should give Fox News a pass. Edit: I don't even watch Fox.
 
Lots of questions here:

Fox never vetted this guy? Well, maybe not, I'm guessing he was anti-Obama on everything so Fox put him on, no questions asked.



And LOL. He fooled the pentagon? That's great huh?

And got to wonder about this guy. He's on TV, lying like crazy and didn't think he'd be caught? Usually people like this lie low. But he goes on TV? Sounds a little delusional.

What a Joke.





wait, the d00d had a criminal record and got himself defense contracts and a government post, but your problem is that FOX didn't "vet" him?


I think your priorities are skewed.
 
Or you know, looking at this from something other than a partisan "OMG MUST KILL FAUX NEWS!" mindset....they likely did some standard vetting of him, but given his fraud was solid enough to fool the ****ing pentagon than it likely was able to withstand the initial vetting from a news agency.

Actually yes, I would hold a news organization to a higher standard. They're putting him on TV over and over. Sounds like they had many more chances to check his stories.

Am I excusing the Pentagon? Nope, but they are known to use questionable civilian advisers all the time. But yes they are come off looking like morons too.
 
The federal government, who he claimed he had worked for, got duped by this guy to the point that they hired and deployed him overseas as an intelligence advisor to senior military personnel, and got a Security Clearance... and all the left can do is jump on Fox News?

How was Fox supposed to be able to vet a guy that was so good at lying, that he fooled the federal government into issuing him a freaking security clearance? If he was deployed overseas as an intelligence advisor to Senior Military personnel, that means he was issued a TS/SCI clearance, which means he found a way to beat multiple polygraphs.

I think that this time, we should give Fox News a pass. Edit: I don't even watch Fox.

Apparently he got Interim SECRET. So, not as big a deal as TS//SCI, but still a pretty significant deal.
 
Actually yes, I would hold a news organization to a higher standard.

That's the end of serious debate.

A news organization should be held to a higher standard of vetting than the US Intelligence Community, and shouldn't take the IC's word for what the IC has done WRT an employee....

If the guy came with a clearance and a background and having been hired ins an intelligence support position due to that background, yeah, I would likely have accepted him as well.
 
Actually yes, I would hold a news organization to a higher standard.

So you believe and hold news stations to higher standards than the offices of our government who's singular job is to perform background investigations on individuals to verify the legitimacy of their claims of who they are in order to give them security clearances.

Hey, more power to you for your absolutely illogical and irrational notions, but forgive me and everyone else if we don't jump on board with that crazy notion nor think it's in any genuine and not just a product of wanting to bash Fox
 
That's the end of serious debate.

A news organization should be held to a higher standard of vetting than the US Intelligence Community, and shouldn't take the IC's word for what the IC has done WRT an employee....

If the guy came with a clearance and a background and having been hired ins an intelligence support position due to that background, yeah, I would likely have accepted him as well.

If you're putting him on TV over and over then yes, you better know if what he is saying is true or a bunch of lies. I said the same thing with Williams. NBC should have checked on his BS.

I'm tired of the media spewing crap and lies, then just shrugging their shoulders and saying. Whoops.

Fox should have checked this guy closer. And if there were any doubts, any past history, any hint of past crimes, I don't care what he was reporting on, they should have dumped him.
 
So you believe and hold news stations to higher standards than the offices of our government

Yes I do. The news media, all of them, have a responsibility to report honestly. I'm not naive, I know they all lean 1 way or the other. But when they ****-up, like Fox did here, then I call them out on it.
 
Yes I do. The news media, all of them, have a responsibility to report honestly. I'm not naive, I know they all lean 1 way or the other. But when they ****-up, like Fox did here, then I call them out on it.

I have no issue calling them out when they **** up. I do think it's ridiculous to hold them to a higher standard than government agencies who's job is to do this very kind of background checking, as well as to inherently assume wrong-doing and unethical behavior as the reason for an error that numerous other entities also had.
 
So you believe and hold news stations to higher standards than the offices of our government who's singular job is to perform background investigations on individuals to verify the legitimacy of their claims of who they are in order to give them security clearances.

Hey, more power to you for your absolutely illogical and irrational notions, but forgive me and everyone else if we don't jump on board with that crazy notion nor think it's in any genuine and not just a product of wanting to bash Fox

Yeah, it should be no small point that the reason this guy is being charged is not because he fooled Fox New, it was because he defrauded the US government and attained a clearance through false declarations.

If Fox News vetted the guy they would call the CIA and DOD to clear him, which they would have. I'm not sure what else anyone can expect from Fox.
 
Or you know, looking at this from something other than a partisan "OMG MUST KILL FAUX NEWS!" mindset....they likely did some standard vetting of him, but given his fraud was solid enough to fool the ****ing pentagon than it likely was able to withstand the initial vetting from a news agency.

Absolutely crazy story that he was able to carry on the ruse that long and at that high of a level.

yea how did the Obama administration not vet this guy and give him Security clearances for so long.
if the federal government stuff can't find his ruse when vetted a normal company won't be able to either.
 
Yes I do. The news media, all of them, have a responsibility to report honestly. I'm not naive, I know they all lean 1 way or the other. But when they ****-up, like Fox did here, then I call them out on it.

I am sure they vetted him and the government agency that he fooled cleared him.
the fact that you can't see this shows how myopic your view really is.

the news story should be how did the Obama administration failed to thoroughly vet this guy and give him security clearances that he shouldn't have had.
 
I have no issue calling them out when they **** up. I do think it's ridiculous to hold them to a higher standard than government agencies who's job is to do this very kind of background checking, as well as to inherently assume wrong-doing and unethical behavior as the reason for an error that numerous other entities also had.

Because the Pentagon and the CIA hire murderers and criminals all the time. I'm sure they knew his criminal background. Did he fool them about what he's does now? Yes, but I can't believe the Feds didn't know his background. They knew, they just didn't care. Fox, or any news organization should have known about his background, and should have cared.

ludin; said:
the news story should be how did the Obama administration failed

Yep, Obama's fault. Yep.
 
wait, the d00d had a criminal record and got himself defense contracts and a government post, but your problem is that FOX didn't "vet" him?


I think your priorities are skewed.
I didn't read that Fox is being accused of wrongdoing. The article was about the guy.
 
If you're putting him on TV over and over then yes, you better know if what he is saying is true or a bunch of lies. I said the same thing with Williams. NBC should have checked on his BS.

Which would have been simple. This guy, apparently, was good enough to fool the Pentagon.
 
Which would have been simple. This guy, apparently, was good enough to fool the Pentagon.

Again, and for the last time. I doubt he fooled the Pentagon about everything. I'm sure they knew about this guys past crimes, they just didn't care. The Pentagon and CIA hired POS like this guy all the time. They hired F'ing Nazis after WWII.

I'm saying if Fox knew he had a criminal past, they should have cared and not hired him. I'm not talking specifically talking about his current lies and crimes, I'm just talking about his past. If they vetted him they should have easily knew about his past.
 
Again, and for the last time. I doubt he fooled the Pentagon about everything. I'm sure they knew about this guys past crimes, they just didn't care. The Pentagon and CIA hired POS like this guy all the time. They hired F'ing Nazis after WWII.

I'm saying if Fox knew he had a criminal past, they should have cared and not hired him. I'm not talking specifically talking about his current lies and crimes, I'm just talking about his past. If they vetted him they should have easily knew about his past.

If if if if if if if .........you got nothing.
 
Because the Pentagon and the CIA hire murderers and criminals all the time. I'm sure they knew his criminal background. Did he fool them about what he's does now? Yes, but I can't believe the Feds didn't know his background. They knew, they just didn't care. Fox, or any news organization should have known about his background, and should have cared.



Yep, Obama's fault. Yep.

thank you for your dishonesty.

yep fox news did check his background with the government and the government cleared him so that is ok in their book.
yep it is Obama's fault. he cleared the guy or someone in his administration did.
 
Maybe you can tell us why Fox hired a commentator with as the OP said: ' that Simmons had a "significant criminal history,'...

No 'ifs' allowed.

yes we should ask why the government cleared him.
it is a huge security breach to give him the clearance with the
history this guy has.
 
Again, and for the last time. I doubt he fooled the Pentagon about everything. I'm sure they knew about this guys past crimes, they just didn't care.

No - you don't get a job as an intel analyst unless you actually have a clearance.

How many times have you been through the cleared defense contractor (CDC) hiring process? I've done it a couple of times myself, and I was part of the military / intelligence community for years.

And what you are saying? Has no connection to reality.

The Pentagon and CIA hired POS like this guy all the time.

:lamo Okay. :) Are those the guys they used to bring down the towers on 9/11?



If they vetted him they should have easily knew about his past.

:shrug: given that his material was good enough to fool the pentagon, evidently not.
 
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