Cirque Du Salahi: Be Careful Who You Trust (28 page)

The message is mixed, however, because there is also a proven hunger for uplifting programming, and this hunger is strong enough to deliver millions of viewers as well. ABC’s
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
is a show dedicated to building new homes for deserving families, and it consistently draws in multiple millions of Americans every Sunday night. Somehow, that ratings-winning formula seems lost on other television programmers. Many prefer the crass titillation factor and believe that there is almost nothing outside of graphic sexual nudity that is truly objectionable, from a live execution to footage exploiting children. It’s never objectionable as long as someone is watching it.

Epilogue

The subtitle of this book: ‘Be Careful Who You Trust’ was, for me, a cautionary mantra during my writing. Throughout my investigation of this story I kept a journalist’s cynical eye on the facts. I am, by nature, skeptical.

There is hardly ever one pure truth to any given situation or event. Knowing that every person comes away with their own unique perspective of an event, I set out to give the Salahis their turn at telling their own very public and painful story.

That doesn’t mean I trusted everything they said to me. I checked and double checked their assertions whenever possible. I interviewed multiple dozens of people, read hundreds of documents including media and police reports and court depositions. Readers should know I could not confirm everything the Salahis told me. That doesn’t mean it isn’t true—just that I could not corroborate it. When I found a falsehood I revealed it, just as I warned them I would.

Now at the end of this project I think back about the fragility of human trust and what it can do to us as people. Who among us hasn’t experienced the pang of treachery—the loss of trust—when someone we had faith in betrayed us? Now imagine if you could trust no one and you had no institution to turn to for rescue.

It’s human nature to sometimes trust foolishly and blindly. The Salahis surely did. They trusted their lawyer when he bragged that he could get them into the White House, they trusted members of the Obama Administration and agents of the United States Secret Service. They trusted that the media would ultimately get their story right. And, they trusted in our nation’s justice and grand jury system. Yet almost a year after their fateful trip to the White House they still can’t scrub the tarnish off their name, because no prosecutor or politician has the guts to admit what is clear—
it was all just a big misunderstanding.
Michele Jones’ words spoken almost immediately after the state dinner still ring true.
The media blew it way out of proportion!

Then again, if someone did have enough of a conscience to come forward and make such a pronouncement it would spoil all the fun we’ve had in hurling insults at the Salahis, wouldn’t it?

It’s sobering to look back and see how the masses formed their negative opinions about this couple based on such false assumptions: “The Salahis were wealthy people trying to buy their way into high society.” No they weren’t. “They were crashing the White House as an audacious audition to be cast on a reality TV show.” No they weren’t. “Michaele Salahi has an eating disorder—she’s anorexic!” No she isn’t.

We have, in some respects, become a mean and hate-filled people.

We need to be able to have trust in our institutions—especially our government and our free press—but they have to earn our trust. In the immediate aftermath of November 24, 2009 we saw a perfect storm of ineptitude, arrogance, greed, political gamesmanship and the sheer cowardice of those in power to step onto the track of this runaway train and say, “Enough! Stop!” No one did, and so we are left with that much
less
trust and that much
more
contempt for all of them. And they all seem blind to the fact that it is their actions that erode their own worth.

Be careful who
you
trust.

Notes

1.
Gallis was approached through two intermediaries to determine if he would be interviewed for this book. The answer was no.

2.
The attempt to interview Corinne Salahi was not successful. Dirgham Salahi’s dire medical condition made his participation impossible.

3.
Gregory is not his real name. Tareq’s boyhood friend agreed to speak on the condition that neither his name nor the name of the town in which he lives be revealed for fear of media intrusion in his family’s life.

4.
Tim Kaine, now the Chairman of the DNC, refused to respond to numerous requests for an interview. Several messages were left for him on his personal cell phone. The number was then disconnected.

5.
Donna Johnson confirmed this event when interviewed in person in Ft. Royal, Virginia in July 2010.

6.
Juanita Swedenburg died on June 20, 2007 at her home in Middleburg, Virginia.

7.
Terry McAuliffe ignored several e-mails, telephone and voice mail messages asking him for comment on the Salahis.

8.
Michele Jones served in the United States Army for 25 years and for a time she was the highest ranking African-American female enlisted person in any branch of the U.S. military. She ultimately became the first woman to rise to the rank of Command Sergeant Major (CSM) U.S. Army Reserve. She was fully embraced by the Obama Administration after she delivered her personal endorsement of his presidential campaign to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Her speech outlined in glowing terms what she saw ahead for the U.S. military with Obama as Commander-in-Chief.

9.
Despite Ms. Jones stated intention in this e-mail thread to “Hopefully…get you tickets” for at least some portion of the White House event, this contradictory statement was issued by the White House on her behalf on December 2, 2009: “I did not state at any time, or imply that I had tickets for ANY portion of the evening’s events. I specifically stated that they did not have tickets and in fact that I did not have the authority to authorize attendance, admittance or access to any part of the evening’s activities. Even though I informed them of this, they still decided to come.” Nowhere in the e-mail traffic (reproduced here in its entirety) does Ms. Jones tell the Salahis that she does “not have the authority to authorize attendance, admittance or access…” yet no media challenged the assertion. In fact, it was Jones’ call to the Gardner Law group four days before the state dinner that started the chain of events which led the Salahis to the White House.

10.
This link was not functional and article could not be found.

11.
Copies of these reality TV cast contracts are found on the internet and are astounding in what they require participants to forego. The cast member must give back to the network 10% of any money they make on the sales of books, music or other marketing items that stem from their exposure on the TV program. When signed, the contracts quite literally strip away the performer’s ability to pursue legal action against the producer or network even if they are deliberately and falsely humiliated or ridiculed. This passage is particularly telling: (emphasis added) “I and others may reveal or relate information of a personal, private, surprising, defamatory, disparaging, embarrassing or unfavorable natures, and my actions and the actions of others appearing in the Series may be embarrassing or of an otherwise unfavorable nature that may be factual or fictional.
My appearance, depiction, and portrayal in connection with the Series, and my actions and the actions of others in connection with the Series, may be disparaging, defamatory, embarrassing or of an otherwise unfavorable nature, may expose me to public ridicule, humiliation or condemnation and may portray me in a false light.
Any information regarding me that Producer may disclose may be more or less favorable than similar information disclosed by Producer regarding other participants. Producer shall have the rights to: (i) included all information obtained about me and any such appearance, depiction, portrayal, actions and statements in the Series as edited by Producer, and in any and all forms of advertisements, promotions and publicity for the Series and for the Network (the “Advertisements”); and (ii) broadcast, exhibit and otherwise exploit the Series and the Advertisements containing any such information and any such appearance, depiction, portrayal or actions.
While such conduct might otherwise constitute an actionable tort, I have freely and knowingly consented to such conduct.”

12.
Admiral Stephen W. Rochon did not respond to multiple e-mails and phone calls. His office finally said that “all interviews must be approved or disapproved through the First Lady’s Office.” Multiple voice mail messages left with that office were not returned. It is the Salahis’ belief that the Admiral testified at the Federal Grand Jury voluntarily, without the necessity of a subpoena.

13.
It wasn’t until December 2, 2009 that White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs briefly addressed the Salahi situation saying everyone wanted to figure out what had happened to make sure it never happened again. “We will do everything in our power to make sure that going forward, whether it’s procedures here at the White House or Secret Service, that we adequately address any shortcomings that are identified, and ensure the safety and security, not just of the president but anyone who comes here to the White House,” said Gibbs. On this day Gibbs also addressed a call from Capitol Hill for the president’s social secretary, Desiree Rogers, to testify about the lapses in her staff’s actions the night of the state dinner. “I think you know that, based on separation of powers, staff here don’t go to testify in front of Congress,” Gibbs said. “She will not be testifying in front of Congress.”

14.
The U.S. Secret Service maintains it does not comment about personnel matters and so the fate of the three White House based agents who were suspended is unknown.

15.
Will Thomas, while initially agreeing to an off-the-record interview for this book, later declined any interview saying his company forbade it.

16.
Lance Jones and I traded several more e-mails and set up a telephone interview. Mr. Jones ultimately did not grant an interview.

17.
Cameron Blanchard, Senior Vice President, NBC Universal for Bravo agreed only to take a long list of questions and consider whether Bravo would answer. In the end she wrote: “Unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to comment either on or off the record. If you need something official, then you can say that “Bravo declined to comment.”

18.
Lisa Bloom came on as the couple’s attorney rather late in the game. She agreed to represent them in the summer of 2010.