The Daily Background

Earlier: Porter Goss and Hookergate (Part 1 of 2)

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In Part 1 of 2, I basically explained what we know about Hookergate in a nutshell, and introduced the main characters in this little scandal. This is Part 2 of 2, and it’s time to explain how this connects to Goss’ resignation.

At this point, although there are rumors and allegations that Goss attended Wilkes’ shady poker parties (at which apparently hookers- female, or possibly male were present), I’ve heard no hard evidence of this yet. Naturally I’ll write about it the moment I do hear about it though.

It’s time to introduce a fifth character into this little saga. I introduced the first four in Part 1. The fifth character is a Mr Michael Wade, who was the CEO of a contracting company named MZM, and also bribed Cunningham along with Wilkes (Wade had pled guilty). It has been alleged that Wilkes was working in cahoots with Wade (and its certainly likely), but Wilkes hasn’t admitted it. Wade has though. And Wade admits to supplying Cunningham with prostitutes, and accused Wilkes of being involved with that as well.

Now, as for Goss. Foggo is easily connected with these shady poker-prositute parties (Foggo, rumored to be resigning next week, admitted attending although claims he never met a prositute there, as I mentioned in Part 1). The question is whether or not Goss attended them as well, or if he merely protected his buddy Foggo when higher-ups wanted him fired. The obvious and rumored theory is that he protected Foggo, and as a consequence was fired (a possibily which Laura of War & Piece elaborates on). But several sources are saying that Goss was more directly involved than just protecting a good friend who he appointed that happened to be caught up in the scandal.

The San Diego Union Tribune, of Cunningham’s former district (recently awarded a Pulitzer Prize for superb their Cunningham scandal reporting) is saying:

some sources said Goss’ position as head of the CIA was weakened by the latest bout of negative publicity surrounding Wilkes, whom federal prosecutors have identified as a co-conspirator in the bribery case of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham.

Reports in The San Diego Union-Tribune and The Wall Street Journal last week revealed that the FBI is probing whether Wilkes hired prostitutes on behalf of legislators who visited his hotel suites in Washington, D.C.

There are also rumors that other unnamed congressmen may be caught up in this as well.

This is such a complicated web of corruption and cronyism. Foggo was friends with Goss, who subsequently appointed him to the number three job in the CIA (many longtime CIA officers regarded Foggo as entirely unqualified for the job, not unlike Goss himself). Foggo was also friends with Wilkes, according to the San Diego Union-Trib. And Cunningham, NYT columnist Maureen Dowd says:

Dusty turns out to be a friend of a defense contractor implicated in the federal corruption investigation of the imprisoned Randy “Duke” Cunningham, a former GOP congressman. The contractor, Brent Wilkes, is now entangled in allegations of louche and lewd behavior involving limos, hookers, a poker player with a missing digit from the CIA nicknamed “Nine Fingers,” and Watergate hospitality suites where more was offered than just Scotch and pretzels.

Damn, Foggo is one connected son of a bitch. NY Daily News reports further on the Goss connnection to Hookergate:

Intelligence and law enforcement sources said solid evidence had yet to emerge that Goss also went to the parties, but Goss and Foggo share a fondness for poker and expensive cigars, and the FBI investigation was continuing.

Larry Johnson, a former CIA operative and a Bush administration critic, said Goss “had a relationship with Dusty and with Brent Wilkes that’s now coming under greater scrutiny.”

Johnson vouched for the integrity of Foggo and Goss but said, “Dusty was a big poker player, and it’s my understanding that Porter Goss was also there \[at Wilkes’ parties\] for poker. It’s going to be guilt by association.”

“It’s all about the Duke Cunningham scandal,” a senior law enforcement official told the Daily News in reference to Goss’ resignation. Duke, a California Republican, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison after pleading guilty in November to taking $2.4 million in homes, yachts and other bribes in exchange for steering government contracts.

Intersting details indeed. Finally, Washington Post’s Dana Priest writes about how dysfunctional the CIA was while Goss (who was horribly unqualifed, I’ll say it again) was the head of it:

…Goss left behind an agency that current and former intelligence officials say is weaker operationally, with a workforce demoralized by an exodus of senior officers and by uncertainty over its role in fighting terrorism and other intelligence priorities, said current and former intelligence officials.

[…]
As important, Goss — who did not like to travel overseas or to wine and dine foreign intelligence chiefs who visited Washington — allowed the atrophy of relations with the foreign intelligence services that helped the CIA kill or catch nearly all the terrorists taken off the streets since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, in the view of these officials and several foreign intelligence officials.

[…]
One senior European counterterrorism official, asked recently for his assessment of Goss’s leadership, responded by saying, “Who?”
[…]
Four former deputy directors of operations once tried to offer Goss advice about changing the clandestine service without setting off a rebellion, but Goss declined to speak to any of them, said former CIA officials who are aware of the communications.

I’ll end on that note for tonight, but I’ll be covering and writing about Goss, Foggo, Wilkes and all the rest involved in Hookergate plenty during the upcoming week.

Filed under: Hookergate, Z-TDB Blog