Media

Excerpt of transcript of surreptitiously taped telephone conversation with Associate Independent Counsel Miguel Rodriguez

I have talked to a number of people that – you know, from Time Magazine, Newsweek, Nightline, the New York Times, Boston Globe, the Atlanta whatever, um, you know there have been well over a hundred, and this – this matter is so sealed tight um, and, the reporters are all genuinely interested but the ah, the ah, um, – reporters are genuinely interested but the ah – when they start to get excited and they’ve got a story and they’re ready to go, the editors – and they – I’ve gotten calls back, I’ve gotten calls back from all kinds of magazines worldwide, what the hell’s wrong, why can’t, you know, you were telling me that you, you didn’t think this would go anywhere and sure enough I wrote the stories.

They went to all the trouble of writing, and then it got killed. Again, I, I, you know, I spent almost eleven hours with, with Labaton, or six hours with Labaton, and ah, you know, I know the guy knows, um, that there’s a lot more, um, ah – I know, I know the New York Times has it – knows, and just won’t ah, ah, I know that they won’t do anything about it and I do know that, that many people have called me back. Reporters that I’ve spent a lot of time with called me back and said the editors won’t allow it to go to press. The accepted media here has always had, ah, a certain take on all of this. And there’s been story lines from the get-go.

Media accounts of the October, 1997 release of the OIC’s Report on Mr. Foster’s death, mentioning Patrick Knowlton’s name but failing to report the existence of his Court-ordered Appendix
Excerpt from civil rights lawsuit Knowlton v. Edwards et al, USDC, DC, CA No. 96-2467
Responses from journalists when contacted by Hugh Turley, Patrick Knowlton, John Clarke
Books
Articles

Media accounts of the October, 1997 release of the OIC’s Report on Mr. Foster’s death, mentioning Patrick Knowlton’s name but failing to report the existence of his Court-ordered Appendix:

S. Labaton, Report of Foster’s Suicide portrays a depressed man, N.Y. Times, October 11, 1997:

The report also dismisses the testimony of Patrick Knowlton, a witness who says he was at the park the day Foster died and did not see his car but did see a person who stared at Knowlton menacingly. The report concludes that there is no reliable evidence that anyone at the park “had any connection to Foster’s death.

B. York, Vince Foster, In the Park, with the Gun, The Weekly Standard Magazine, October 27, 1997. Byron York is an investigative writer with the American Spectator:

[C]onspiracy theorists… have already begun to complain about Starr’s treatment of Patrick Knowlton, a motorist who says that on July 20 he stopped in Fort Marcy to relieve himself and saw a man in a car who stared at him menacingly… But Starr found no other evidence to support Knowlton’s story, and the report mentions the incident only briefly.

M. Morrison, In Re: Vincent Foster, Wall Street Journal, November 25, 1997:

Most of the other allegations, including the recollections of much-touted witness Patrick Knowlton, represent the confusions inevitable in any large investigation of a dramatic event.”

Excerpt from civil rights lawsuit Knowlton v. Edwards et al, USDC, DC, CA No. 96-2467

170. Defendants also accomplished their object of publicly discrediting Plaintiff. On November 24, 1997, a book review entitled The Secret Life of Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, written by Michael Isikoff, appeared in the widely circulated Weekly Standard Magazine. In it, Isikoff wrote:

Evans-Pritchards’ work, such as it is, consists of little more than wild flights of conspiratorial fancy coupled with outrageous and wholly uncorroborated allegations offered up by his “sources” – largely a collection of oddballs… and borderline psychotics.

Back in Washington, Evans-Pritchard breaks one of his big stories: Patrick Knowlton, a construction worker who stopped to urinate at Fort Marcy Park on the afternoon of Vince Foster’s death and — here’s the key part — recalls seeing a mysterious “Hispanic-looking” man lingering around the parking lot. No sooner has Evans-Pritchard popped this bombshell in the Telegraph than, Knowlton reports, menacing-looking men in business suits begin following him and staring really hard at him…  

But for the moment I prefer my own conspiracy theory: Evans-Pritchard doesn’t believe a word he has written… designed to discredit critics of the Clinton White House by making them look like a bunch of blithering idiots.

The next day, November 25, 1997 another book review, entitled Conspiracy Central, authored by Jacob Cohen, appeared in the widely circulated National Review Magazine. In it, Cohen wrote:

…Patrick Knowlton, who claims that he came to the park at 4:30 on the afternoon of July 20 to relieve himself, and at that time saw in the parking lot a brown Honda with Arkansas plates…

He insists that a very sinister-looking man was hovering around the parking lot and may have monitored his peeing… Knowlton seems to have a penchant for seeing the sinister in the glances of those he meets… Mysterious cars follow him, he says. Carefully organized teams of men constantly pass him and his girlfriend on the streets, giving them very menacing stares… Apparently, they are present during every walk Knowlton takes, so that any experimental stroll will reveal them. One wonders, is there a school that teaches federal agents this methodology of intimidation?

Responses from journalists when contacted by Hugh Turley, Patrick Knowlton, John Clarke

George Will, Feb., 1996: “We’re not interested in that [Foster case];”

Fred Barnes, Feb. 23, 1996: “Conservatives should ignore the death of Vincent Foster and stick to the real issues… It was a suicide… No, I don’t want to meet Patrick Knowlton;”

Tim Russert, Feb. 29, 1996: “I appreciate your taking the time… It is important to have your input;”

James Stewart, March 20, 1996: “Now I think it is too much of a coincidence that he [Foster] would be that depressed and then that somebody would somehow move in and fake some kind of crime. Life just doesn’t work like that;”

Haynes Johnson, May 28, 1996: “You have raised provocative questions;”

Ted Gest, 1996: “Our magazine [Newsweek] covers consumer issues, that is not the kind of story we cover, try one of the daily papers;”

James Whalen (St. Paul Journalism Prof.), “If there was anything suspicious about Foster’s death the Washington press would cover it;”

Paul Gigot (Wall St. J.), July 23, 1996: “Foster committed suicide. Everything points to that… No, I don’t want to meet him [Patrick Knowlton] and you probably think I am part of the conspiracy;”

Michael Barone, July 30, 1996: “I’m not going to defend the coverage of Vincent Foster by U.S. News & World Report, I do not know enough about the Foster story;”

Jerry Seper (Wash. Times), Oct. 17, 1996: “I don’t cover Foster, I’m covering Whitewater. Ask George Archibald, he has been assigned the Foster story;”

George Archibald (Wash. Times), Oct. 24, 1996: “Foster is dead. I don’t cover Foster… My time is limited;”

Eugene Meyer (Wash. Post), Nov. 5, 1996: “No, it’s not my job… I don’t care about your friend;”

Karen Ballard (Wash. Times), Nov. 5, 1996: “Why don’t you write the story;”

William Kristol, Nov. 8, 1996: “Amazing… What kind of work does Mr. Knowlton do?”

Candy Crowley (CNN), Kwame Holman, Peter Kenyon (NPR), Nov. 19, 1996: “If it was reported I would cover it… I have to cover other news, it’s not my job;”

Carl Stern, (CNN), Feb. 13, 1997: “We don’t know anything about it;”

Cokie Roberts, April 13, 1997: “Thousands of reporters have looked into the death of Vincent Foster and everyone including the numerous investigations have concluded that his death was a suicide;”

Paul Harvey, July 16, 1997: “The death of White House counsel Vincent Foster has now been investigated four times including Kenneth Starr’s most recent one and all four have reached the same conclusion. There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, it was suicide;”

Tom Sherwood, WRC-DC, July 31, 1997: “I can’t believe there would be a cover-up… Why don’t you contact Mike Isikoff;”

Michael Isikoff, Aug. 13, 1997: “[I] do not have enough evidence to go with the story about Patrick Knowlton’s allegations;”

Pete Yost, Associated Press: Q. “You don’t understand, this is evidence of murder cover-up ordered attached to Starr’s report. A. No you don’t understand. The story is suicide. It’s already in the can.”

Martha Malan, (St. Paul Press), Oct. 12, 1997: “We don’t have the resources to cover the Foster story… No, I don’t want to talk to Patrick Knowlton;”

John Crudele (N.Y. Post), Nov., 1997: “I don’t believe there is a cover-up;”

Steve Labaton, (N.Y. Times), Nov., 1997: “The court had to attach your submission;”

Bob Zelnick, May 30, 1998: “[There isn’t] any credible evidence that Vincent Foster was murdered. Can I ask to change the subject?”

Harold Hostetler, June 25, 1998: “Mr. Knowlton does appear to be an honest and forthright person who is sticking up for his principles and beliefs. However, I do not see this as a potential story for Guideposts;”

Sam Fullwood (L.A. Times) at Sanford Ungar AU forum (with L. Brent Bozell III, Karen DeYoung & Bill Plante), Sept. 8, 1998: “It’s not my kind of story… Why don’t you post it on the Internet then everyone will know… Why don’t you write a book, you could make lots of money;”

Matt Drudge, “I’ll read this [written materials] but I was just about ready to believe the body was moved and now you’re saying he was murdered;”

Frank Sesno, Sept. 24, 1998: “I’ll look at this;”

Helen Thomas, Oct. 7, 1998: “[T]his should be reported to the American people;”

Helen Thomas, April 9, 1999: Q. I gave you the addendum to Starr’s Report. Will you write about Patrick Knowlton? A. No… I don’t have time. Q. Can I quote you? A. No. Q. You said then that his story should be reported. A. It is very unfair of you to do this to me. Just forget it.