Saturday, October 31, 2026Every claim sourced. Every source linked.
The record of what the American press got wrong, and who it helped
The Big Lies › 2015 › File PF-0059
Debunked

Fox's Longtime 'Former CIA Operative' Guest Was Charged With Faking It

From 2002 on, Fox News repeatedly presented Wayne Simmons as a former CIA operative and terrorism expert.

First reported Oct 15, 2015 · Fox News
Screenshot of the original report as published
Screenshot of the report as published: money.cnn.com (archived copy, Wayback Machine). Tap to open the source.
Who it helped: Republicans

Simmons' hawkish commentary on terrorism was given false authority.

What was reported

From 2002 on, Fox News repeatedly presented Wayne Simmons as a former CIA operative and terrorism expert.

What actually happened

In October 2015 federal prosecutors charged Simmons with major fraud and false statements, alleging he never worked for the CIA as claimed. Fox's Bret Baier told viewers Simmons was never employed or paid by the network, but Fox had vouched for his credentials on air for years.

The proof

The FBI's announcement of the indictment says Simmons falsely claimed CIA service from 1973 to 2000.

The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:

Fox's Longtime 'Former CIA Operative' Guest Was Charged With Faking It — Debunked. The FBI's announcement of the indictment says Simmons falsely claimed CIA service from 1973 to 2000. Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/fox-wayne-simmons-fake-cia-operative/

Original reporting

Corrections, findings & records

Archived copies

Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.

Get the daily file.