Fox News "CIA Paramilitary" Expert Arrested For Lying About Credentials

[Locksteady]

Wayne Simmons, recurring Fox News guest, charged with lying about CIA ties

Wayne Simmons, a recurring guest on Fox News who claimed to have 27 years of experience with the CIA, was arrested Thursday after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he lied about his service.

Simmons is accused of falsely claiming that he worked as an "outside paramilitary special operations officer" for the CIA from 1973 to 2000. On Fox, this was often shortened to "former CIA operative."

He was also indicted for using that false claim to gain government security clearances and an assignment as a defense contractor, where he advised senior military personnel overseas.

Simmons made his initial appearance in court on Thursday afternoon. If convicted, he could face up to 35 years in prison on charges of major fraud against the United States, wire fraud, and making false statements to the government.

Simmons is a familiar face to Fox News viewers. After the arrest was announced on Thursday, Fox News spokesperson Irena Briganti told CNN that he "was never a contributor for Fox News," and that he appeared on the network only as a non-paid guest. She therefore declined to comment further.

Simmons' web site describes him as a "terrorism analyst" for Fox and a consultant to various government entities.

While it is unknown how often Simmons has appeared on television over the years, Fox's web site lists dozens of appearances and quotes, usually labeling him a former CIA "operative," "analyst" or "officer."

The indictment is a red flag for every television network that relies on the input of analysts based on their supposed credentials. The news industry comes to trust individuals as "specialists" in part because of their own self-promotion and past media appearances.

In his appearances on Fox, Simmons regularly made extreme and factually dubious statements pertaining to terrorism and national security. Just this January, he claimed there were "at least 19 paramilitary Muslim training facilities in the United States."

Simmons also claimed that waterboarding was not torture and accused President Obama of being a novice who lacked spine -- claims that were given greater credence because of the perception that he was a veteran CIA paramilitary officer.

U.S. officials told CNN that there have been suspicions about Simmons's resume and U.S. government agencies have received calls about claims he made on his website about his past work.

But because government security agencies generally do not comment on people who worked for them in certain capacities, that only served to fuel the perception that Simmons had a top-secret background.

In a statement the CIA said it is "working closely with the Justice Department on this matter and we refer you to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia for comment on the charges."

The U.S. Attorney's Office said that along with the CIA-related fraud, "the indictment also alleges that Simmons defrauded an individual victim out of approximately $125,000 in connection with a bogus real estate investment."

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud counts, 10 years in prison on the major fraud against the U.S. counts, and 5 years in prison on the false statements count.

 

[Brill]

Hillary gets a pass for her lies and deception about her server but this guy gets arrested?

 

[Tbone]

Fox News is the butt of a few too many jokes and this doesn't exactly help. I mean is there no way to verify someone? Is there a civilian version of a DD 214? Then again with so many people lying about credentials maybe everyone looks the other way to keep from causing a stir...:-"

 

[DA SWO]

Fox News is the butt of a few too many jokes and this doesn't exactly help. I mean is there no way to verify someone? Is there a civilian version of a DD 214? Then again with so many people lying about credentials maybe everyone looks the other way to keep from causing a stir...:-"

No, civilians do not get a DD214 every year.
Why would they?
Screw Fox on this one, maybe they will do a better job vetting people next time. I wonder how he got hooked up with Fox in the first place, someone at Fox be looking for a new job soon.

 

[Grunt]

I have gotten to the point where I don't believe anything that any of them say any more. It's a known fact that they (MSM) do a pathetic job of "vetting" or should I say "non-vetting."

They don't vett information and they don't vett their "experts."

It's simply an entertainment outlet.

 

[AKkeith]

People are blaming Fox when he defrauded the government to the extent that he gained a security clearance and "advised senior military officials overseas."

 

[Grunt]

I blame FOX for not vetting their source....

I blame the Government for being duped....

They are both at fault and victims of their own negligence.

 

[Tbone]

People are blaming Fox when he defrauded the government to the extent that he gained a security clearance and "advised senior military officials overseas."

That takes some serious balls and a bit of craft........maybe they should hire him for real

 

[Grunt]

That takes some serious balls and a bit of craft........maybe they should hire him for real

Not necessarily...sometimes it only takes a little "mislead" or "misplaced" trust. People make connections and friendships. Once that is done, they are spoon-fed an embellished resume' and that is then taken as authentic and it spreads from there. It happens all the time at different levels. It isn't that hard to do.

 

[Totentanz]

Not necessarily...sometimes it only takes a little "mislead" or "misplaced" trust. People make connections and friendships. Once that is done, they are spoon-fed an embellished resume' and that is then taken as authentic and it spreads from there. It happens all the time at different levels. It isn't that hard to do.

And to boot, a sensational resume breeds a desire to believe it, especially for an org than thrives on sensationalism. Feed a news organization an unbelievable story, and don't be surprised when they believe every word and defend it to the death.

 

[Red Flag 1]

I have a lot of trouble taking much of what the MSM reports for real. ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NPR all shape and spin everything. Local and regional news still deal in reporting news, for the most part. What we have today is another day of the "news" being the of and about the "news".

 

[Ooh-Rah]

???

No joke or sarcasm intended here. What is that difference between that guy and this tool-shed?

Why aren't the "stolen Valor" dudes charged with the same crimes?

 

[Brill]

I would say throw the book at him but it looks like he would just eat it anyway.

 

[Gunz]

300 pounds of shit in a 100 pound bag

 

[DA SWO]

???

No joke or sarcasm intended here. What is that difference between that guy and this tool-shed?

Why aren't the "stolen Valor" dudes charged with the same crimes?

View attachment 14228

Did the guy in your photo gain financially?
Otherwise it's free speech.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Ahhh....so the dudes running their SEAL Security firms, but who are not really SEAL's can be charged, but the guys attending vet parades in costumes cannot? Thank you for the explanation.

 

[AWP]

Ahhh....so the dudes running their SEAL Security firms, but who are not really SEAL's can be charged, but the guys attended vet parades in costumes cannot? Thank you for the explanation.

Sadly, yes. The second you make a penny off of your false claims you become open to charges. Otherwise it is "free speech."

 

[policemedic]

That's the truth. It's not moral and it's not right, but it is what it is.

 

[CDG]

Talk about a collapse of the security clearance vetting process.