But Cogan said he couldn't recall the precise verb that Reed had used. � ���"Joseph Reed said, � ��˜we' and then the verb [and then] something about Carter's October Surprise,� �� � Cogan testified. � ���"The implication was we did something about Carter's October Surprise, but I don't have the exact wording.� �� �
One congressional investigator, who discussed the recollection with Cogan in a less formal setting, concluded that the verb that Cogan chose not to repeat was an expletive relating to sex � ��" as in � ���"we f--d Carter's October Surprise.� �� �
During Cogan's deposition, David Laufman, a Republican lawyer on the House task force and a former CIA official, asked Cogan if he had since � ���"had occasion to ask him [Reed] about this� �� � recollection?
Yes, Cogan replied, he recently had asked Reed about it, after Reed moved to a protocol job at the United Nations. � ���"I called him up,� �� � Cogan said. � ���"He was at his farm in Connecticut, as I recall, and I just told him that, look, this is what sticks in my mind and what I am going to say [to Congress], and he didn't have any comment on it and continued on to other matters.� �� �
� �� �He didn't offer any explanation to you of what he meant?� �� � asked Laufman.
� �� �No,� �� � answered Cogan.
� �� �Nor did he deny that he had said it?� �� � asked another task force lawyer Mark L. Shaffer.
� �� �He didn't say anything,� �� � Cogan responded. � ���"We just continued on talking about other things.� �� �
And so did the Task Force lawyers at this remarkable deposition on Dec. 21, 1992. The lawyers even failed to ask Cogan the obvious follow-up: What did Casey say and how did Casey react when Reed allegedly told Reagan's ex-campaign chief that � ���"we f--d Carter's October Surprise.� �� �
Discovered Documents
I found Cogan's testimony and other incriminating documents in files left behind by the task force, which finished its half-hearted investigation of the October Surprise controversy in January 1993.
Among those files, I also discovered the notes of an FBI agent who tried to interview Joseph Reed about his October Surprise knowledge. The FBI man, Harry A. Penich, had scribbled down that � ���"numerous telephone calls were placed to him [Reed]. He failed to answer any of them. I conservatively place the number over 10.� �� �
Finally, Penich, armed with a subpoena, cornered Reed arriving home at his 50-acre estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. � ���"He was surprised and absolutely livid at being served at home,� �� � Penich wrote. � ���"His responses could best be characterized as lashing out.� �� �
Reed threatened to go over Penich's head. In hand-written � ���"talking points� �� � that Penich apparently used to brief an unnamed superior, the FBI agent wrote: � ���"He [Reed] did it in such a way as to lead a reasonable person to believe he had influence w/you. The man's remarks were both inappropriate and improper.� �� �
But the hard-ball tactics worked. When Reed finally consented to an interview, Task Force lawyers just went through the motions.
Penich took the interview notes and wrote that Reed � ���"recalls no contact with Casey in 1980,� �� � though Reed added that � ���"their paths crossed many times because of Reed's position at Chase.� �� � As for the 1981 CIA visit, Reed added that as the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Morocco, he � ���"would have stopped in to see Casey and pay respect.� �� �
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
