Wayne Simmons, Right-Wing Media's Benghazi Expert, Declared Fraud By Federal Prosecutors

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http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/10/15/wayne-simmons-right-wing-medias-benghazi-expert/206194

Wayne Simmons has been arrested after a federal grand jury indicted him on "charges of major fraud against the United States, wire fraud, and making false statements to the government," including allegedly falsely claiming he worked for the CIA. Simmons was a frequent and favorite guest on Fox News, and was one of the conservative media's purported experts on the 2012 Benghazi attacks. Simmons joined several prominent conservative activists and media figures in calling for the House to convene a Benghazi Select Committee.

Federal Prosecutors: Wayne Simmons Falsely Claimed He Worked For CIA

Wayne Simmons Is A Conservative Commentator. Simmons' website claimed he was part of the CIA's "Outside Paramilitary Special Operations Group." He also has written for Human Events and appeared regularly on Fox News. [WayneSimmons.us, accessed 10/15/15; HumanEvents.com, accessed 10/15/15]

U.S. Attorney's Office: "Simmons Falsely Claimed He Worked As An 'Outside Paramilitary Special Operations Officer' For The Central Intelligence Agency." A press release from the U.S Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia stated:

Wayne Shelby Simmons, 62, of Annapolis, Maryland, a former occasional on-air commentator who appeared on a cable news network, was arrested today after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of major fraud against the United States, wire fraud, and making false statements to the government.

According to the indictment, Simmons falsely claimed he worked as an "Outside Paramilitary Special Operations Officer" for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1973 to 2000, and used that false claim in an attempt to obtain government security clearances and work as a defense contractor, including at one point successfully getting deployed overseas as an intelligence advisor to senior military personnel. According to the indictment, Simmons also falsely claimed on national security forms that his prior arrests and criminal convictions were directly related to his supposed intelligence work for the CIA, and that he had previously held a top secret security clearance. The indictment also alleges that Simmons defrauded an individual victim out of approximately $125,000 in connection with a bogus real estate investment. [Justice.gov, 10/15/15]

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