White House spokesman Scott McClellan and the U.S. Secret Service offer widely conflicting accounts of the special White House access James Guckert, alias phony White House reporter Jeff Gannon, enjoyed for more than two years.

If McClellan’s account is true, the White House may have called on Secret Service workers to conduct background security checks on James Guckert more than 200 times over the past two years — including daily checks from Dec. 20, 2004 through Jan. 31, 2005, the only period for which Secret Service records are available.

ePluribus Media investigator Todd Johnston reported the discrepancy in “White House, Secret Service Stories on Gannon/Guckert Passes Don’t Match,” a diary posted at DailyKos.com at 9:05 EST this morning. The diary is available at:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/16/9539/40363

U.S. Secret Service documents submitted in response to previous FOIA requests state:

“There are three ways of being allowed access to the White House Briefing Room: 1) as a permanent White House Press Pass holder; 2) as a temporary appointment; 3) on an access list.

ePluribua Media contacted Secret Service spokesman Reginald Hudson on Friday to clarify the type of access granted Guckert. Hudson stated that the pattern of Guckert “appointments” submitted by the White House Press Office looked like a “30-day access list” request. Hudson said that the press office uses access lists “quite a bit.”

Johnston telephoned the White House to ask for clarification. At 6:00 p.m. on Friday, White House spokesperson David Almacy confirmed that “Scott McClellan himself” said Guckert was “never on a 30-day access list.”

Almacy said 30-day access list is “only used for people awaiting a ‘hard pass.’”

Johnston had contacted Almacy to clarify the meaning of “day pass.” Though used repeatedly by the White House and in news reports, “day pass” is White House press office invention that is not formally recognized by the Secret Service.

However the Secret Service closely regulates “temporary appointments.” Guckert needed a “temporary appointment” to attend every press briefing. Guckert also needed a sponsor — someone from the White House Press Office — to submit the “temporary appointment” request to Secret Service.

For a “temporary appointment” to the White House Press Briefing Room, the Secret Service requires that the White House Press Office submit the name and personal identifiers (name, date of birth, place of birth, Social Security number) of the guest. The Secret Service then conducts a criminal history check.

According to the Secret Service, if the White House requests a temporary appointment on consecutive days, “[then] the U.S. Secret Service would conduct the criminal history checks again.”

Secret Service records show that a member of McClellan’s White House staff requested a temporary appointment for James Dale Guckert to visit the White House every day from Dec. 20, 2004 through Jan. 31, 2005 – 43 consecutive days, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

Guckert only showed up for seven of his 43 appointments, according to records. Earlier records, archived by the White House, have also been sought by investigators.

For further information, contact:
Denise Ford
ePluribus Media
DEFord@epluribusmedia.org