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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Tiger Woods Injured in Car Accident; Secret Service Takes Blame For White House Party Crashers
Aired November 27, 2009 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening from New York. I'm Erica Hill, sitting in tonight for Anderson Cooper.
"Up Close": Tiger Woods, hurt in a car crash, but back home tonight. And we're learning more about what happened very early this morning, why the news sent shockwaves to far beyond the sports world. We have live coverage for you from his hometown in Florida, including details from the local police station and a closer look at Woods himself, the sports legend, the star personality, and, of course, the marketing mega-brand.
Also, some major new developments in the White House party crashing saga, photo proof tonight that the couple managed to score face time with President Obama, and the Secret Service today admitting it dropped the ball. We're "Keeping Them Honest."
And, then, later, the priest had a secret, a son. You will see what the church did to keep it hidden and why this young man's mother is still demanding answers.
But, first up tonight, the security breach now even more clear. Michaele and Tareq Salahi seen here face-to-face with President -- the president of the United States. India's prime minister you see right there in the background, Manmohan Singh. It all happened Tuesday night at President Obama's first state dinner, the worst security breach in White House memory.
Also new tonight is a statement from the Secret Service taking full blame, noting -- quote -- "Established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint" and -- quote -- "That failing is ours."
A couple of party crashers at the White House, publicity seekers, seemingly harmless, but they could have been anyone. In a moment, the man who has known Ms. Salahi for 15 years and spent hours with her preparing for that state dinner on Tuesday, but, first, the very latest from Tom Foreman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The stunning image of the Salahis meeting President Obama after slipping into the White House state dinner only reinforces the seriousness of the questions surrounding them.
The Secret Service director now admits: "They should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely. That failing is ours."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. and Mrs. Salahi.
FOREMAN: How the couple made it so far is under investigation. And more clues are emerging about the run-up. At a D.C. hair salon, witnesses say Michaele Salahi showed up for a last-minute appointment, excited about her invitation.
PEGGY IOAKIM, STYLIST: I asked, do you have it with you? And she said yes. She tired looking for it and didn't find the invitation. So, I never saw it. She didn't have it. She thought it was in the car or something.
FOREMAN: The cable network Bravo says the D.C. socialites were being considered for a new reality show, and a TV crew was following them.
NBC anchorman Brian Williams, another guest at the dinner, says he saw their car turned away by security. But the Salahis hopped out with a cameraman and makeup person and walked to the entrance.
(on camera): And, "Keeping Them Honest," the real question is, what happened there? This is where witnesses say guests were checked off of a list, they were checked out by the Secret Service, and walked through metal detectors. Then it was on up here to the east entrance.
This is apparently where Michaele posed for the photograph with the Marines that she later posted on Facebook. And then on inside down this hall into the White House proper and to the introduction point where that video was shot that we have seen so very much of.
Some time around this point, all indications are, with White House staff and security people all around, the couple joined the line going up to the Blue Room to actually meet the president.
And then after that is when they would have gone back outside here to meet many other White House dignitaries, including Vice President Joe Biden.
(voice-over): Secret Service agents visited the Salahis' winery south of Washington, telling the staff, according to a manager -- quote -- "If they do not sit down with us and talk, we will take whatever action is necessary."
Faced with possible criminal charges, the Salahis are not talking publicly, although their publicist insists they did not crash the party and are eager to explain the events around this extraordinary and, for the White House, unwelcome picture.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: "Digging Deeper" now into just how this happened and what could happen to Michaele and Tareq Salahi, we are joined by stylist Erwin Gomez. You saw his salon in Tom Foreman's report. Also us with, national security contributor and former White House Homeland Security Adviser Frances Townsend, and CNN legal analyst Lisa Bloom.
Good to have all of you with us.
Fran, I want to start with you, because now we have this picture, this picture proof of the Salahis face-to-face with President Obama. So, there was no question as to how far their unchecked access got them, really to the highest level.
How does this happen? And -- and what should happen now to both the Salahis and perhaps the Secret Service folks who were on duty that night?
FRANCES FRAGOS TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Sure.
Well, you know, Erica, what happens is, once you come up to that initial point that Tom Foreman mentions, that perimeter point where you go through a magnetometer, once you're through there, nobody really checks you again, because the presumption, if you have gotten inside the perimeter, inside the White House grounds, you have been cleared.
So, no one would have checked them again. And so they would have come into the White House. They would have gone upstairs. They would have gone to somebody at a social secretary's desk to get a card before you go in for your photograph with the president. Oftentimes, there will be an administrative slip-up, there won't be one. Someone will just write it out by hand for you.
And the only purpose of that is to put the picture and the name together and make sure you're introduced to the president.
What happens to them now? Well, I will tell you, if they lied to get their way in -- that, is, if they made a statement to someone at the gate, a Secret Service agent, and said that they were there because they were invited, that's a lie. It's a -- it would be a lie to a federal official, and that's a felony.
So, in addition to a publicist, I hope they have a good lawyer.
(LAUGHTER)
HILL: Well, apparently, they have a lawyer who has been speaking out. Lisa, as an attorney, looking at this, should they be facing federal charges for this?
LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, they certainly could be, federal charges not only for lying to federal authorities, if they did lie. But it looks like they gave their own name, for example, when they walked in, also for trespassing, although they went past the checkpoints. They didn't scale a wall.
I mean, I think it's important to keep in mind what the actual facts are here. Yes, they could have grabbed a knife. They could have broken a glass. They could have committed an act of violence. But they didn't do any of. They were friendly. They posed to pictures. And the law deals with what is, not what could have been.
I mean, these are people who walked in, crashed a party, and then left. In my view, this does not rise to the level of a federal crime. I think we have more important things to worry about. Certainly, the Secret Service needs to do a review. But what these people did, in my view, no harm, no foul.
HILL: So, this isn't really a big deal to you? Because, as you said, somebody could have picked up a knife. They could have brought in anthrax, for all we know.
They were face-to-face with the president.
BLOOM: Yes.
HILL: The prime minister of India was right behind them. That's a pretty serious security breach, Lisa.
BLOOM: Yes, that's what could have happened. But that's not what actually did happen. What actually did happen was, they walked in. They pretended like they belonged there. They looked nice. They smiled for some pictures and then they left. I mean, they didn't even steal any china, as far as I know.
Now, next week -- they're clearly dragging the story out, because they want this story to have legs -- next week, we're going to hear their side of the story, whether they were even invited or not, whether there are other allegations. But, so far, based on the facts that we have so far, to me, this does not seem like a major crime.
HILL: Fran, though, what kind of message does that send about security, not only to the American people, but also to the Indian government, for example?
(CROSSTALK)
TOWNSEND: No, that's absolutely right. And I know that the Secret Service has begun their own -- not only an internal inquiry of the facts of what happened, but they have already referred the matter to the Office of Professional Responsibility.
At best, the Uniformed Division Secret Service agents who let them on to the property will be disciplined. And, at worst, they potentially could be fired. I will tell you, it is a very serious security breach, because, after all, bad people will watch this and watch how they did it and learn.
And they may test the Secret Service in other circumstances, if not at the White House, as a result of this. And, so, it is a very, very serious case.
HILL: And we're going to continue to talk more about it. Also, we want to learn a little bit more about the people at the center of the controversy. As we mentioned, Erwin Gomez with us. And, well, we are going to speak with him in just a moment.
And you can join the live chat now happening at AC360.com. I will be logging on during the break.
When we return, more on that couple, as we mentioned, who may end up chasing publicity straight into prison.
And, also, the man who tries to avoid publicity, despite being perhaps the best-known and the richest athlete in the world, Tiger Woods' car crash very early this morning -- what we do and what we still don't know about it.
That's tonight on 360.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Continuing our look now at the major White House security breach at Tuesday's state dinner for India's prime minister. The evidence just out tonight, you see it right here on your screen, that Michaele and Tareq Salahi made it all the way to the receiving line.
You see her right there shaking hands with President Obama. And, yes, they had been through a metal detector. But, no, they never should have gotten past the front gate, let alone to the president. The Secret Service tonight is taking the blame, but there is still much to discuss.
Joining us, Erwin Gomez, who got Mrs. Salahi ready for her big night, Frances Townsend, who advised President Bush on homeland security and knows White House procedure firsthand, CNN legal analyst Lisa Bloom.
Erwin, I want to talk to you. You have such a history with Mrs. Salahi. You have known her for 15 years.
ERWIN GOMEZ, HAIRSTYLIST FOR MICHAELE SALAHI: Yes.
HILL: And you know what pride she takes in her appearance. You did her makeup for their wedding. Yet, she didn't call you until Monday, frantically trying to get an appointment for a White House state dinner. Did that strike you as odd that she wouldn't have planned out a little bit more?
GOMEZ: I find that really odd, because, if I was -- if I got invited to the White House, I would be -- I know I would have gotten the invitation right away. And I would have planned my hair and makeup, if I was a girl.
(LAUGHTER)
GOMEZ: But -- but I would definitely get it planned out.
HILL: And you spent several hours -- she was in your salon for, I believe, seven hours that day. Obviously, there was some discussion. I know one of your hairstylists asked her to see the invitation. She didn't have it.
Was there ever a point, though, where you questioned whether or not she was in fact invited to this event?
GOMEZ: I did ask her, "I mean, how did you get invited?"
And she was just more in awe of what I was going to wear and how -- how I was going to make her look. And -- and she knows I'm very familiar with the Indian culture. And she kept asking me if you think -- if the -- the costume should be perfect for the event. And I said, of course. I mean, that would be a good respect for the prime minister.
And -- and, of course, we made her look beautiful. And, as you can see, she stands out so beautiful.
HILL: She did look great, but nothing really stood out and said, hmm, maybe -- maybe not.
As we look at this picture of the Salahis, Fran, and we -- and the president, go over the procedure. You talked a little bit about, once you get to the White House, what happens. But, before that point, the security check, the background checks that gone on, once you are invited to a White House event, take place far in advance of any event, correct?
TOWNSEND: That's right.
You're typically asked for your name, your Social Security number, your date of birth. All those three have to match together when they run you into their system. It goes into a computer system, so that, when you approach the gate, you produce your identification -- a picture I.D., and they check it against the information they have.
If those match, you then go through the magnetometers. If those don't match, you're referred to somebody from the social secretary's office. Secret Service, I want to point out, has said they didn't -- they didn't refer this to the social secretary. Clearly, the breach, the failure, was on the part of Secret Service.
And the Secret Service now has gotten very clear that this was their problem. Clearly, they let them come in without having their data inside the computer system, just based on their -- their word that they were invited.
Now, to be fair to the Secret Service, let's remember, they show up. There is a camera crew and makeup artists. They look like somebody important. And, after all, they figure, if they turn them away in the rain and their tuxedo and finery, this is all going to be filmed, and they're going to get in trouble.
HILL: But, Fran, wouldn't someone know? I mean, shouldn't there be some sort of an alert to -- to the Secret Service, to the White House ground staff that someone will be arriving with a camera crew? You can't just show up on the White House lawn with your own camera, can you?
TOWNSEND: No, that's -- that's exactly right. There -- there would have been. You notice Brian Williams and Katie Couric were there that night, and they didn't show up with their camera crew.
And, so, no, it should have sent off all sorts of flags. And I will tell you, I expect that the Secret -- the Uniformed Division Secret Service folks are in -- going to be in lots of trouble.
HILL: Still -- still plenty of discussion.
Lisa, looking at this from another angle, there is so much talk these days about everybody sort of wanting their 15 minutes of fame. Is this just another way, and could it perhaps set off some ideas of other people of, hey, this is a way for me to be a reality TV star?
BLOOM: Sure. You mean like the balloon boy family, for example?
(LAUGHTER)
HILL: Perhaps.
BLOOM: I mean, others have already thought of this, right, doing some kind of crazy hoax and getting their name in the news? And here we are going along it with, showing her over and over again.
I think, if you're a tall, thin, dazzling blonde, and you look the part, and you walk in, you can get into a lot of places. And she even got into the White House. And, look, this may help her on the reality show. I understand she is auditioning for it.
I think, really, it is Erwin's fault for making her look so good.
(LAUGHTER)
BLOOM: Maybe she just dazzled those agents. They couldn't see anything but how great she looked, and they just waved her right in.
HILL: Erwin, is there something about this couple or about Michaele specifically, because you've known her for 15 years, that made you think, A, she has got a connection to somebody in the White House or one of the government's representatives that would get her in, and, B, and that she would, if not, try to pull off a stunt like this?
GOMEZ: Well, that's a really -- first, a really good question.
I mean, first, I know Michaele, that she is always known a lot of people in the Washington, D.C., area. And she's always hanging out with the biggest socialites and events. And they also mentioned that they were -- they got invited because they're getting involved of the Indian polo that they charity and that they're very well known of.
But -- but it really struck me so odd, because when I found out this news, I myself, as a makeup artist, I was there at the first -- with the first family at the inauguration. I knew how tight security is.
And I was even afraid that I was not going to get in. That's how tight they were.
HILL: Right.
GOMEZ: This just blows my mind. And -- but I know but she -- I don't know if she knows a lot, but she knows a lot of people. That's all I can tell you.
HILL: And, as we have been told, they -- they enjoy the limelight.
And, Lisa, as you mentioned, we're -- we're giving them a little bit more of it, aren't we?
(LAUGHTER)
BLOOM: We are.
HILL: But still lots -- but there are some important questions behind it.
Lisa Bloom, Fran Townsend, Erwin Gomez, appreciate your time, all of you this evening. Thanks.
BLOOM: Thanks, Erica.
GOMEZ: Thank you.
TOWNSEND: Thanks, Erica.
GOMEZ: Thank you so much.
HILL: And there is actually much more to cover on this Friday night, including late new details about that car crash that sent Tiger Woods to the hospital, his condition at the scene, and his reported rescue by his wife, with the help of a golf club.
And a bit later, what is happening in Dubai? One of the wealthiest places on the planet sending waves of terror today through Wall Street -- could your 401(k) be riding on it?
When 360 continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: The headlines tough to ignore as snippets came in on the wires today. First, we heard Tiger Woods is involved in a car accident, and then that he has been seriously injured. Well, thankfully, the news that followed was better. The golf superstar was treated and released from a hospital near his Orlando area home.
But the details of this early-morning crash are far from clear, perhaps not a surprise, considering the man involved is known for doing all he can to maintain his privacy.
Gary Tuchman is on the scene in Windermere, Florida, where he is gathering the latest for us. And he joins us now.
Hi, Gary.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Erica, hello to you.
Tiger Woods, the most famous golfer in the world, one of the most famous people in the world, and here's what we know about what happened with him.
Gated community here in Windermere, Florida, one car accident, hit a fire hydrant, hit a tree, was said to be semiconscious or unconscious for a number of minutes. His wife came, bashed in the back window with a golf club to rescue him, was brought to the hospital. And the hospital now says it was minor injuries.
So, what the heck was happening here?
With us right now, the police chief here in Windermere, Florida. This is Daniel Saylor.
Chief, thanks for talking with us.
DANIEL SAYLOR, WINDERMERE, FLORIDA, POLICE CHIEF: You got it.
TUCHMAN: This sounds like a really unusual case. I know this was unincorporated Orange County. It wasn't your territory. It wasn't in the city limits. But you responded to the accident.
SAYLOR: Correct.
TUCHMAN: How often do you have one-car accidents where someone bashes in a window to rescue someone in a subdivision that is gated in something like this?
SAYLOR: Not very often. We responded to our mutual aid after the 911 was made and Orange County broadcast (INAUDIBLE)
TUCHMAN: Now, the first question I want to ask you -- if this was a common citizen, I would ask, did you do a DWI test?
SAYLOR: No, because it's not our investigation. It's Florida Highway Patrol's investigation. We respond as mutual aid through Orange County.
And being the first at the scene, we rendered first aid to Tiger Woods and basically secured him until FHP in Orange County got there, and it's their investigation. So, they're the lead agency.
TUCHMAN: So, you're saying that, if it was a common citizen, someone in a one-car accident, bashing over a fire hydrant and tree, you wouldn't do a DWI test, even if it isn't within your city limits?
SAYLOR: No. You know, he was on the ground semi-unconscious, and had lacerations to his upper and lower lip. So, our first response was to render first aid to him.
TUCHMAN: We certainly don't know what happened here. The hospital says it was a minor injury. The injuries were just seen on his mouth. I mean, why do you think he was semiconscious or unconscious?
SAYLOR: You know, I don't know. The officers say he was semi- unconscious, in and out of it for several minutes. He did have blood coming out of his mouth.
But the officers said it did not look life-threatening, his injuries.
TUCHMAN: The car was drivable. So, why did his wife have to bash it in with a golf club, the back window?
SAYLOR: From our understanding, she explained to my officers that the doors were locked and she could not gain entry. So, she used a gold club to smash the window out to gain entry to unlock the door.
TUCHMAN: Did she have a golf club with her at the time?
SAYLOR: I don't know where the golf club came from.
TUCHMAN: I mean, she -- if she went back to get it, she could have gotten the keys and opened the door maybe.
SAYLOR: It sounds like that is probably what you would do.
TUCHMAN: I mean, does this sound -- I certainly don't want to put words in your mouth, but does this sound a little unusual and suspicious, this case?
SAYLOR: It sounds unusual. But, like I said, we're not the investigating agency. So, you know, we were first-responders under mutual aid to help him out. And we didn't know it was Tiger Woods. We just knew that there was a male down.
TUCHMAN: And final question: Did his wife make a statement to you?
SAYLOR: No, the only statement she made that she was upset and that she broke the window out to get the keys. And she took him out of the vehicle and laid him down on the street.
TUCHMAN: Chief, thank you very much for talking with me.
SAYLOR: Thank you.
TUCHMAN: I appreciate it.
SAYLOR: Yes, sir.
TUCHMAN: Tiger Woods is scheduled to play this week coming up in the Chevron World Challenge. That's a golf tournament in Thousand Oaks, California. He has won it four times before. It's a very important tournament for him, because money raised during the tournament goes to his foundation.
Not clear yet if he will play it in -- Erica, back to you.
HILL: Gary, some good detail from -- from you tonight. Thanks for trying to press the -- press the officer there for some more information.
No reflection, of course, on Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry, or any of the other top-ranked golfers in the world. They compete, of course, with Tiger Woods. But when they're all off the course, frankly, no one is in his league.
Tiger Woods is a billion-dollar business. In fact, he's a one- word brand name, Tiger, or Tiger, Inc., if you will.
Joe Johns now with an "Up Close" look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whether you like professional golf or not, in some ways, we're all at least followers of the career of Tiger Woods. We watch him, some obsessively, not only because of his continued world dominance of his sport, but because he is probably the best known athlete from any sport in the world.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: This is Tiger Woods. Everything he does is upheld the utmost scrutiny worldwide. He is a golfing icon. But he transcends the sport. There's no doubt about it.
JOHNS: Though he is still a few wins away from the consensus claim of greatest pro golfer ever...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he sneaks it in, Tiger Woods.
JOHNS: ... he is currently the highest paid, $110 million in winnings last year, an unprecedented $1 billion in his career, including endorsements, appearances, business relationships with companies like Nike.
He gets an estimated $20 million a year just from Nike for adding his brand to their line of golf equipment. He got $10 million apiece for three golf courses he's helped develop in Dubai, North Carolina, and Mexico. He's also attached his name to Gatorade, and Gillette, American Express, because they want to be associated with what he's best known for.
SNELL: Wins everything. He keeps winning. He's a winning machine. And he settles for nothing but the best.
JOHNS: He has single-handedly re-branded and expanded the game, bringing in countless fans who probably would never have picked up a golf club if they hadn't seen Tiger do what he does. His personal story is compelling. He married a Swedish model. They have two beautiful children. He's a mixed-race kid, son of a mother from Thailand, his late father an elite American Green Beret soldier, said to have nicknamed Tiger after a man who saved his life in Vietnam.
And beyond all this, there is the charity, the giving-back that makes him so popular. The Chevron World Challenge golf tournament in Thousand Oaks, California, just days away, is a benefit for his Tiger Woods Foundation and other charities.
Attention will be paid to Tiger's appearance or non-appearance at that event, which just goes to show how watching Tiger and what he does on and off the golf course is now an international pastime.
Joe Johns, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Ahead: some insight on just what makes Tiger tick from one of the top sportswriters in the country.
Plus: Black Friday and the store where things got so out of hand, customers were sent home.
Plus: a late update to our investigation of the priest, the son he fathered, and a mother's quest for justice.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: You just saw Gary Tuchman's interview with the Windermere police chief, who seemed to have a lot to say about, really, how little we know about what happened early this morning.
State police, as he mentioned, are investigating. There are 911 tapes. And, no doubt, we will be learning more in the days ahead. But the fact is here, few celebrities have a tighter grip on their image and on their private life than Tiger Woods.
I spoke about that and a bit more earlier tonight with Christine Brennan of "USA Today."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: We have learned, Christine, that his wife, actually, apparently, was up, though. She heard the crash inside the house, came outside, used a golf club, somewhat ironically, to help get him out of the vehicle, break a window.
Do we know what was happening with them beforehand? Had she been up or just -- or just heard the crash and it woke her up?
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, "USA TODAY": Erica, we don't know.
And I think that's the one thing that is kind of surprising, of several surprising aspects to this story, of course, on a slow news day. But one of the things is, you know, Tiger Woods is as controlling of his image as anyone maybe on the planet, not just an athlete, anyone in our culture.
I mean, this guy guards his image, his Web site. Everything about him, it has been controlled from the get-go, from when he said "Hello, world," as a young new pro, which was part of the Nike campaign back in the mid-1990s.
And so this is so uncharacteristic, to have this kind of thing for a guy who never colors outside the lines. I think that's the part. And I think Tiger will be giving us answers, Erica, simply because he's going to have to, because he's such a powerful, important person, not only in sports but in our culture.
HILL: You mentioned how intensely private he is, Christine. When do you think those answers will come? Because he know he has an appearance scheduled Tuesday. Before then?
BRENNAN: Tiger and his people, his camp will clearly make that decision. If they don't want to talk before then, they won't talk before then.
But I think that -- that because he's so public and because he has sought that out. Because he's making the millions of dollars in endorsements. And he is very much someone who has wanted the public's money and interest and has thrived on that. I think that, because it's so strange, because of the questions you're asking, because of all day the things we're talking about, it just seems to beg the question that I think Tiger might want to have an answer or his people will be giving us more information. I would hope in the next 24 hours.
HILL: Yes, a lot of people hoping for those answers. But what about within the sports community? What's the reaction been today?
BRENNAN: Of course, it's a quiet day. And so it's been the lead story in sports. And there's a lot of college football games, as you know, Erica. So that -- to steal the spotlight from college football isn't easy. But Tiger Woods has.
And it's, you know, it's because it's so unusual. Because we don't hear about this with Tiger woods. Because Tiger Woods, you know, what's he doing at 2:30 in the morning? He'll answer that question. I know -- I'm sure we'll get the answer to that. And we'll get a lot of answers, because people will want to know. We in the sports community, sports journalism community will want to as the questions, as well.
But I think it's more shock, surprise. Obviously, people are relieved that he's not injured more seriously. That's No. 1 on the list.
And now the question, what were you doing? What's going on? Why did your wife have the golf club and now she's breaking down the window in the back. A lot of questions. And I know that Tiger Woods and his people will give us answers, because we will, as I said, we will demand those answers, fans of his, you know, his endorsers, obviously, the people who pay millions will want to know those answers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Again that was Christine Brennan of "USA Today," joining me earlier to night.
Still ahead, new information about the priest who fathered a child more than 20 years ago. First though, Tom Foreman joining us again, this time with a "360 News & Business Bulletin."
Hi, Tom.
FOREMAN: Hey, Erica.
Wall Street took a tumble today over worries about a $60 billion debt crisis facing Dubai. Dow, 154 points closing the short Black Friday trading day to 10,309. The NASDAQ dipped 37, and the S&P lost 19 points.
The U.S. stepped up pressure on Iran today, warning Tehran of tough new economic sanctions. The warning follows a resolution by the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency, demanding Iran stop construction of its recently-revealed nuclear plant and end its uranium enrichment program.
The number of Americans with diabetes is expected to nearly double over the next 25 years to about 44 million with the disease. That's according to a new study at the University of Chicago. Researchers also say the cost of treating diabetes will triple to $336 billion.
And a Wal-Mart store in southern California ejected all of its customers for about three hours early this morning when shoppers started fighting over bargain merchandise. Wal-Mart changed its procedures for Black Friday crowd control after a guard was trampled to death at a New York store last year -- Erica.
HILL: Amazing that people are fighting over that stuff. And it happens at like 3 in the morning. You would think the tryptophan would kick in at that point, from the turkey. Everybody just relax.
Tom, thanks.
Coming up Monday on 360, women breaking barriers on the battlefield. G.I. Janes play crucial roles in both Iraq and Afghanistan. There are also more high-ranking women in the armed forces. But their pioneering work comes at a heavy price. We'll take a closer look Monday on 360.
Tonight on the program, a follow on a secret revealed. The son of a Catholic priest. The church paid child support to his mother but only if she kept the affair secret. She is now speaking out, as are church officials.
Also tonight. for the first time, we hear what went on inside the cockpit of that flight where the pilots overshot their destination by other than 100 miles, prompting a security scare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Northwest Flight 188, do you have time to give a brief explanation on what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just cockpit distractions. That's all I can say.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: For many, this is the time of year when loved ones gather close. The holidays, though, are anything but joyful for the woman you're about to meet.
In fact, she has a heartbreaking story, a story of faith, family and the extreme lengths taken by the Catholic Church and its officials to keep a priest's secret. As you'll see in this 360 follow, that secret is that the priest has a son.
The child's mother says church officials agreed to pay child support if she kept quiet. But when her son became ill, she claims the church largely abandoned them.
Here again is Gary Tuchman.
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GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This photo doesn't nearly tell the whole story. This priest not only baptized this baby, but he is also the baby's father. And that fact will be kept secret for 22 years. It was a secret forged in a legal agreement between the church officials and the mother. Her name is Pat Bond.
(on camera) So they told you, if you signed this, you could never talk about it?
PATRICIA BOND, HAD SON WITH CATHOLIC PRIEST: Yes.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): In the agreement, Henry Willenburg, Franciscan priest, declared he is the baby's father. And in exchange for her silence, the agreement promises the Franciscans would quietly pay financial support for her son.
(on camera) Confidential?
BOND: Correct.
TUCHMAN: Secret?
BOND: Yes, oh, yes.
Pat says at the time she was very vulnerable. She'd left her husband for the priest, was under psychological care and had considered suicide. She says she was intimidated by church negotiators and that she had poor legal advice. But she saw no other way to support her son.
His father, the priest, had no intention of leaving the priesthood, even though she says they continued their relationship.
(on camera) Patricia Bond was a very devoted Catholic. She loved her church. And as it turns out, she loved her priest. This is the church in Quincy, Illinois, where her son Nathan was baptized by Father Willenburg. And right across the street this green house. This is where she used to live.
She says Willenburg would celebrate mass during the day and then often come here and sleep with her during the night.
(voice-over) The secret relationship would end after five years. Nathan was a toddler. Pat worried about how to care for him. She felt the church agreement she signed wasn't enough. But she kept her silence.
Her son Nathan grew up, smart, athletic, popular. But three years ago he was diagnosed with brain cancer. What's the prognosis now?
BOND: I'm losing my son.
TUCHMAN: Doctors say Nathan may only have weeks to live. The church has paid for some medical care. But Pat had to fly him to New York this summer for late-stage cancer treatment. They had to stay for weeks.
BOND: And I begged, and I am saying that I begged the church, "Please send us help."
TUCHMAN: The Franciscans gave her $1,000. But it was only a tiny fraction of the cost. Pat says she pleaded for more, saying church officials had a moral obligation.
(on camera) And what did the church say?
BOND: They said, "No, we are not Nathan's biological father. We have no legal obligation to your son."
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Franciscan provincial minister Father William Spencer would not go on camera. But in a letter to CNN, he says, "Our payments have exceeded legal requirements. He also writes, "When the mother made requests on multiple occasions, we made further payments for the child's support, education, and health care."
In total, the Franciscans tell CNN Pat Bond received about $233,000 over the last 22 years. But doing the math, that averages less than $11,000 a year.
(on camera) The Franciscans' insistence that they've been generous over the years with Pat Bond seems to miss the larger point. And that is why was such an agreement signed in the first place? In the Catholic religion, priests are not allowed to have children. So why didn't the Franciscans say to Father Willenburg, "Listen, you had a child. You can no longer be a priest. So take care of your child. Take care of the woman you had the child with"?
And why, pray tell, was this agreement confidential?
(voice-over) We wanted to ask these questions to the man who made that decision who was the lead negotiator 22 years ago. Pat Bond says she didn't know what became of him. But she remembers his name.
BOND: Father Bob Karris.
TUCHMAN: And this is...
(on camera) Father Robert Karris.
(voice-over) We found him at St. Bonaventure University in New York state where he's a renowned scholar.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Up next on 360, part two of Gary Tuchman's report. What Gary discovered when he met with the man who negotiated that secret agreement between the church and the mother of the child.
And later, what was going on in the cockpit when two Northwest Airlines pilots overshot the Minneapolis Airport last month? We have the FAA tape recordings ahead on 360.
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HILL: Before the break, we told you about how officials in the Catholic church paid a woman child support but only if she agreed to keep quiet about the son she had with a priest. The mother says church officials have betrayed their promise to help them. They say they did not.
We'll have more on that in a moment, but first, Gary Tuchman continues his report in our 360 follow, beginning with the search for the priest with the secret.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Father Robert Karris is the priest who represented the Franciscans 20 years ago when they offered Pat Bond a legal agreement. In exchange for her silence, they would pay to support the boy she had with Franciscan priest Henry Willenburg. Instead of seriously punishing Father Henry, Karris says they sent him to a treatment center and that he was ultimately back in the church community.
As for Nathan, Father Henry's son...
REV. ROBERT KARRIS, FORMER FRANCISCAN PROVINCIAL MINISTER: We are doing and are committed to continue to do what is best for Nathan, the son of our brother.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Do you think you should have said to Father Henry, "We don't really want you in the church anymore. You've had a child. Get a job. Take care of this woman and take care of your child. That's the best thing for Nathan. Not the church sending money. You taking care of him"?
Don't you think that would have been the right thing to do?
KARRIS: Well, there are broken families. There are families which...
TUCHMAN: But the church is in the business of being ethical and humane. And wouldn't that have been the best thing for Nathan, for Father Henry to take care of his son?
KARRIS: It would have been the best thing. But that's not the reality.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Barbara Blaine founded a group called SNAP. It helps women who have had sexual relationships with priests. She says that the same pattern, for the truly faithful a priest has an exalted position. Victims are vulnerable because they offer unconditional trust.
BARBARA BLAINE, SURVIVORS NETWORK OF THOSE ABUSED BY PRIESTS: The church here is trying to protect themselves. And we believe that keeping secrets is what has enabled the abuse to go on for so long.
TUCHMAN (on camera): When you had discussions with your colleagues, protecting the church was part of the reason you wanted to have this confidential agreement. Right?
KARRIS: That is part of the reason, yes.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): But he also says protecting Pat Bond and Nathan was another part.
(on camera) Was the church concerned about your son?
BOND: Oh, no. No. Never, ever. Not now, not then, not ever, no. They were concerned about getting us out of their life. And I guarantee you the day my son goes, the church will rejoice because he's...
TUCHMAN: Because he's what?
BOND: Because he's gone.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): But Nathan is still fighting and has a remarkable attitude.
NATHAN HALBACH, SON OF PRIEST: If I just live my life as happy as I can during this time and just have all the fun I have before that horrible stuff happens.
TUCHMAN: He hasn't seen his dad for many years.
So where is Father Henry? For the last four years he'd been a priest in this Ashland, Wisconsin, church, where he was extremely popular. His boss, this man, a bishop.
BISHOP PETER CHRISTENSEN, DIOCESE OF SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN: The innocent one in this is Nathan.
TUCHMAN: But the bishop has not punished Father Willenburg for fathering Nathan. However, he did take action against him for another reason. Only last month the bishop suspended Father Henry because of new allegations, that when he was having an affair with Pat Bond, he was also having relations with another woman while she was under 18.
(on camera) Because of the allegation that he had an affair with a minor, you decided you needed to suspend him?
CHRISTENSEN: Right.
TUCHMAN: And was there any other reason you suspended him?
CHRISTENSEN: No. That would be it.
TUCHMAN: The bishop says Father Henry denies an improper relationship with that woman when she was a minor. With the suspension, he's no longer at the church. And no one seems to be able to tell us where he is.
We went to the Franciscan offices in St. Louis where he used to live.
(on camera) Is Father Willenburg here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As far as I've known, no, I have not seen him at all.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): But we had his cell phone number, and he did answer.
(on camera) The reason I'm calling you is we're doing a story about -- he hung up on me.
(voice-over) "The New York Times" did get a comment from him, Willenburg telling the paper, "We've been very caring, very supportive, very generous over these 20-something years. It's very tragic what's going on with Nathan."
(on camera) After Father Willenburg hung up on me, I called him back again, got his voice mail and left my phone number. I also left my phone number with one of his assistants inside the church. But he's chosen to remain silent with me. Silence from Henry Willenburg is painfully familiar to his son.
How do you feel about him right now?
HALBACH: It's -- it's hard. He's never really been around. He's popped up here and there throughout my life. But I've never, never gotten the full respect and love out of him that I always wanted.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): And now this painful discussion: what happens when Nathan dies? How to pay for his funeral?
BOND: They're questioning is having a staff at the visitation necessary?
TUCHMAN: But after we interviewed her, lawyers for the Franciscans wrote this. It says, "We will cover 100 percent of the expenses of Nathan's interment and monument/memorial expenses." And, they add, "Please advise if there is any additional assistance that the Franciscans can provide to Nathan at this time."
She hopes it means the Franciscans will pay for a part-time nurse at home for Nathan, because recently Pat learned she may not be able to take care of everything herself.
BOND: In June I was diagnosed with carcinoid (ph) cancer.
TUCHMAN: But for now, she says, she must focus on her son. They've decided he will die at home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: We originally aired this story two weeks ago. And tonight we have a very sad and disturbing development. Last night, Thanksgiving evening, Nathan slipped into a coma. And 90 minutes ago his mother Pat called me and said Nathan passed away in his bed. He would have been 23 years old next month -- Erica.
HILL: Gary, it's heartbreaking. I understand, too, in the time since we originally aired this story, that you've actually been contacted by the Franciscans. What's the latest on that?
TUCHMAN: Right. A lawyer for the Franciscans sent us a letter saying that there were corrections and retractions that they requested that we make. I took a careful look at our work. My bosses, our bosses, Erica, took a careful look at our work. Our CNN attorneys took a careful look at our work, and we've all deemed there are no corrections warranted.
Nevertheless, to be transparent, we wanted to address their main concern that was in the very beginning of their letter. They said they agreed to pay funeral costs, and it had nothing to do with CNN or any reporting. But they agreed to pay those funeral costs before our story aired.
Nevertheless, their quote was, "We sent a check to the cemetery on Friday, October 30." But we need to tell you that on Thursday, October 29, the day before, that's the day that we called the Franciscans, wanted to interview Reverend William Spencer, who is their boss in St. Louis. We were told he would not talk us to; made it very clear we were doing the story. That was also the day that we interviewed Pat Bond, on October 29. So all of those things happened the day before.
In addition, a couple of weeks before that, "The New York Times" did their original reporting on this story. Their fine religion reporter, Laurie Goodstein, did a story. So there's lots of things that were in motion before they sent that check covering the funeral costs for Nathan.
So we should tell that you this letter they sent us was full of all kind of legalisms, but it backs up the point of our original reporting. That there has not been a lot of moral responsibility by people who are in the business of morality and ethics. That has not happened very much over the 22 years of Nathan's life. He passed away with his mother next to him in his bed. His father, the priest, we still don't know where he is -- Erica.
HILL: So tough. This was the only upside there is, that he was able to pass at home with his mother, as both of them intended and as they wanted. Gary, thanks.
And our condolences, of course, go out to the family tonight.
The president of the Catholic League and the president of SNAP, Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests, faced off over this controversy with us recently. You can see their interview with Anderson on our Web site at AC360.com.
Just ahead at the top of the hour, photo proof that the White House party crashers actually met face-to-face with President Obama, and the Secret Service is taking the blame. It's ahead.
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HILL: Get you caught up now on some of the other stories we are following tonight on 360. Tom Foreman is back with the "Bulletin."
Hi, Tom.
FOREMAN: Hi, Erica.
Cockpit distractions, that's the excuse the pilot of Northwest Airlines Flight 188 gave traffic air controllers after he and his co- pilot overshot the Minneapolis Airport last month. According to recordings released by the FAA today, the duo reportedly had to perform a series of maneuvers to confirm all was well after 77 minutes of radio silence. They reportedly told investigators they'd been working on their laptops.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Minneapolis Northwest 1-88.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Minneapolis Center, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger, we got distracted and we have overflown Minneapolis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Northwest Flight 188, do you have time to give a brief explanation on what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just cockpit distractions. That's all I can say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: The winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize says Iranian officials confiscated her gold medal and are demanding that she pay $410,000 in back taxes on the prize money. Shirin Ebadi says the medal was taken from a safe deposit box in Tehran.
Ebadi won her prize for the campaign to promote democracy in Iran.
A safe homecoming for the seven astronauts aboard Atlantis. The shuttle landed under perfect conditions this morning at Cape Canaveral. The return is especially sweet for Nicole Scott, who spent three months on the International Space Station.
And 'tis the season already at the White House. There it comes. The first family welcomed the official Christmas tree today: 18 1/2 feet tall, 12 feet wide. It's an evergreen, and it will grace the Blue Room.
HILL: And I like that it arrives on a horse-drawn carriage or wagon, I should say.
FOREMAN: That's how we -- that's how we get our Christmas tree.
HILL: Yes, that's just how everybody rolls in the D.C. area. Good stuff.
FOREMAN: Yes. That happens down here. I don't know how you do it in New York, but down here, that's how we all do it.
HILL: It's not quite the same. The streets are a little too congested.
It's time now for "The Shot." Next year will be a shot of the Foreman Christmas tree. The spirit of Thanksgiving updated a bit to suit today's musical tastes, if you will. We found this tribute -- tribute to the holiday this week on a site called SexyPilgrim.com. There's a hint.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Back in the U.K., they disrespected my style, so I split for the new world to party wild. Was a banging ride. We broke all the taboos. No one got scurvy. You could call it a cruise. How as my trip.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Yes. You could call it a cruise. On the Mayflower. I think that's exactly what things were like at the first ever Thanksgiving, Tom.
FOREMAN: I think so, too. That was the lesser known not-so- puritans.
HILL: Right. He's looking for a different kind of freedom. That's going to do it for us tonight. Tom, have a great weekend.
You can submit your "Shot" suggestions at AC360.com.
Meantime, no turkey leftovers at the White House tonight. Instead, a few folks eating crow. New admissions and this photo of the party crashers who made it through the White House gate, past the Secret Service, right up to the president of the United States.
