[Chapter 912: Things Are Getting Murky]
As William White read the poem, he found himself puzzled. Back in ancient times, wars lasted at least three to five months. How exactly did a green recruit manage to survive in the military?
"Women will always be women," he thought. Even if one looked a bit plain, they were still more appealing than those stinky soldiers.
Elegant matters like the tale of severed sleeves and shared peaches must have started in the military and on ships. If things got heated, it would certainly raise eyebrows.
As he perused the documents in his hand, Rupert Murdoch felt a bit shaky. "What the hell? Who set me up?"
Whitewater was whatever to him. It was easy to throw mud when sitting in that position; it was simply a part of the job.
But Leo Wanta was way out of line! What did they mean by tax evasion? Even if there were solid accusations, it was hard to believe someone would get sentenced for decades over it.
Could this be another CIA internal conflict? Good grief! They were already troublesome enough without dragging the President into it.
"No way, let's just watch this unfold for now."
"Rupert, it's Conrad. Can I ask you something? How much do you know about Leo Wanta?"
"Good grief, have they lost their minds?"
"What? Rupert, you got the same news?"
"Haha, not just me. Redstone just hung up too. As you know, he and I haven't exactly been on good terms." Conrad Black quietly scoffed, thinking to himself that no one really got along with that stubborn old man.
"So, that suggests something's going on."
"Sure, something's going on, but whether anyone will report it is another matter."
"Rupert, from what I know, several tabloids received these tips too. Who's behind all this? What's their game?"
"Don't ask me, Conrad. I shot down that report. It's not going to appear in the News Corp papers."
What started out as a normal Christmas holiday suddenly turned chaotic due to the Vanta Project.
Of course, at this moment, one had to consider. When you had a solid foundation, major newspapers remained silent. Not only that, but the editors and top journalists received gag orders.
In short, they would act like this story didn't exist. Good grief, it even involved the Russians! Whoever wanted to report on it could take a hike.
The tabloids didn't care about such niceties. Who exactly was Leo Wanta? What was the IRS messing around with? A couple of bucks in taxes, and they handed down decades?
So, what's up with that?
It seemed there were connections to the President's chief legal advisor. That guy had already died in a suspicious manner, and now it seemed there might be a resolution.
Tabloids thrived on visual storytelling. With such detailed information, it practically handed reporters a story outline.
"Rupert, don't come to me, this isn't my doing. Small Bush just called too."
Alan Greenspan looked furious; he didn't want to deal with the jerk, but some things needed to be said.
"Oh, Ellen, so it seems William White got the leak too?"
"Yes, not just him, the Hearst family, the Bancroft family, so many people are fishing for information."
"The situation's blown up; what are the IRS and CIA waiting for? I can't keep a lid on this much longer. At the very least, you need to help me come up with a reason."
Greenspan felt like telling Murdoch to take a running jump; the heads of the IRS and CIA had already gone off the deep end. How could anyone at the center of this storm manage to be all right?
If you said that guy was insane, you had to back it up with proof. Moreover, insane people should end up in hospitals, right? The IRS was acting unreasonably--charging decades for a few bucks in taxes? How could the guy even survive in prison for decades if he owed that kind of tax?
A couple of bucks in taxes couldn't lead to that severity. Just explain that away, would you?
This case had problems; even a blind man could see that. Don't forget about those reporters.
Major newspapers might be cautious, but tabloids didn't share that concern. Further, questioning judicial procedures didn't mean there was an actual issue. There wasn't any defamation case to be found.
This guy certainly had a story; reporters were great at sniffing one out.
He claimed to be the Somali ambassador, but someone suggested he was delusional. Then why did they also allege fraud?
If he defrauded someone, where were the victims?
If there were no victims, could it really be called fraud?
Alright, enough of that. Since he swindled that much money, how could he not pay a few thousand in taxes?
Tax evasion in the U.S. wasn't a big deal. There was a prerequisite: you could underpay or not pay at all as long as they couldn't catch you.
If they did find out, no biggie. If someone simply forgot to pay, that was a decent excuse. Even if it was flimsy, it was better than nothing.
Sitting in the Oval Office, the old man felt a bit lost. When did you switch scripts? I had no idea.
He felt a mix of confusion and secret delight. But the bigwigs from the CIA weren't nearly as calm.
Good grief! Who set us up?
Whoever stood to gain the most was always behind it. It was a simple enough truth.
Could this be Leo Wanta's comeback?
A group was set to give Vanta a taste of his own medicine, and several of their European friends seemed unsettled.
Didn't they refer to it as the lighthouse? Now what, if they were using you as a benchmark, didn't that mean we'd end up in trouble?
What's it to you if Americans have their own affairs? It's downright brazen. They meddle in others' business with piety, and if you didn't let them interfere, you'd quickly be labeled evil.
As for themselves--cough, let's not go there. You can say it, and they'll act like they didn't hear; isn't that classic cowboy behavior?
But the issue was that Leo Wanta had been extradited from Europe. If those charges were fabricated, that was a challenge to public moral standards.
It wasn't that it could not be done, but how could they trumpet it worldwide?
For reasons well-known, European partners didn't want this kind of incident to occur. If this continued, who would want to come to Europe with their wealth?
Let's not even mention London and Switzerland's financial systems, which managed almost $30 trillion in overseas capital. Hence, ensuring the safety of that capital and its holders had to be a priority.
"Shirley, have you heard any rumors?"
Shirley Lansing hesitated briefly but decided to clue in the old guy. The news wasn't even your main business; why be so gossipy?
"Ahem, boss, it's complicated. From what's gathered, over ninety percent of this is on the CIA."
"Strange, why do I feel like this is vaguely connected to Whitewater?"
"Yes, the chief legal advisor who committed suicide likely had connections with this Leo Wanta. Rather than it being about the Madison case..."
Redstone found he couldn't resist the urge to gossip. This matter was now causing a huge uproar, almost as if they were about to break the bank. Even if he didn't plan to gain anything, it was best to stay far away.
"Shirley, are you saying the storm's center is in Pentagon Town?"
"Yes, that's a certainty. I don't even know if that hearing will continue."
"Haha, you mean the Whitewater issue? I suspect it'll get postponed or just brushed off. A couple hundred thousand dollars isn't a big deal. No way they'd throw old Ko into the mix.
Alright, Shirley, I got it. I'll steer clear of this situation as much as I can, especially since it's unclear who's muddying the waters."
Neither did he know--aside from old Ko having some vague suspicions, most folks were just lost in confusion.
*****
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