The CBS Killian Memos
- Story is from September 2004
- CBS News got memos about George W. Bush. Supposedly typed in 1973.
- CBS News aired a story using the memos
- What we now know:
- CBS got memos from Bill Burkett
- Burkett said someone else gave them to him.
- Burkett initially lied to CBS about memos' origin
- Document examiners warned about authenticity
- Typographic analysis indicated hoax
- CBS ignored the warnings
- CBS defended the authenticity of the documents
- The memos are low-grade forgeries
- CBS ultimately apologized for using the documents
- CBS brought in outside investigators to see what happened
- The show's producer was fired
- What we don't yet know
- Who actually created the forged memos?
- Was Burkett aware that the memos were fake?
- What was the motive for the hoax?
- Why were the documents such low-grade forgeries?
- Why did CBS fall for those low-grade fakes?
- Why did CBS continue to defend the memos?
- Genuine Bush document typed in 1973