Riding the Hubbell UFO roller coaster - De Void

Over the summer, with the Chase Brandon/CIA/Roswell controversy percolating in the blogosphere, De Void made the dutiful doomed queries to the filtration systems for Bill Clinton and former White House chief of staff John Podesta, given their longstanding interest in The Great Taboo. They ignored De Void, no surprise there, they always do. But here’s what was surprising — former Clinton associate attorney general Webster Hubbell actually wrote back. Check out this verbatim email exchange:

"Clinton had said, 'If I put you over at Justice, I want you to find the answers to two questions for me. One, who killed JFK. And two, are there UFOs?' ... Clinton was dead serious. I had looked into both, but wasn't satisfied with the answers I was getting." -- Webster Hubbell, 1997/CREDIT: goodreads.com

To Webb Hubbell 8/15/12 9:42 AM: Dear Mr. Hubbell: In [1997 autobiography] “Friends in High Places,” you assert that President Clinton sent you on a fishing expedition to get to the truth behind UFOs, and you came up empty-handed. But this summer, prominent and recently retired CIA agent Chase Brandon is going public with his claims of having seen the sort of information you were looking for in the Agency’s Historical Intelligence Center archives.  Brandon says he found Roswell material inside a box, during the 1990s, that convinced him a UFO and bodies were, in fact, recovered in 1947. He also said in a radio show last night that several colleagues saw the material as well. Brandon’s credentials are impeccable. A couple of questions: 1) Where did you look for UFO data, and 2) if you had this information when your team was in office, what would you do with it? Thanks in advance, and regards, Billy Cox -30-

Then, suddenly, just a few hours later, without warning …

To Billy Cox 8/15/12 12:14 PM: Thanks for your inquiry. All of your questions will be answered. Webb -30-

Nostalgia flashback to Fred Sanford clutching his heart: “Oh! This is the big one, Lamont! Oh, Elizabeth, I’m comin’ to join ya, honey!” The world spins crazily, vertigo, grab the bannister, calm down, be cool. Don’t press. Don’t blow it.

Weeks pass. Hmm.

To Webb Hubbell 8/30/12 10:41 AM: Having second thoughts? -30-

To Billy Cox 8/30/12 11:57 AM: No. -30-

OK. He’s pulling it all together. Consulting his notes. Refreshing his memory. These things take time.

Weeks pass. No money. Maybe it wasn’t really Hubbell. Maybe someone screening his email was doing an impersonation.

To Webb Hubbell 9/24/12 10:21 AM: This isn’t really THE Webb Hubbell, is it? -30-

To Billy Cox 9/24/12 10:59 AM: I only know one. -30-

OK. Well. Er. Ah. Ahem.

To Webb Hubbell 9/24/12 11:19 AM: Then I’m assuming the use of the passive voice in the 8/15 correspondence, i.e., the lack of the first-person singular, was an intentional hedge. I suspect you know how important this issue is. Are you struggling with this? Again, I appreciate your consideration. -30-

Days pass. Don’t blow this, man. Be cool. Tension building. Ticktickticktick ….

To Webb Hubbell 9/26/12 9:57 AM: Perhaps we could chat on background, then? -30-

To Billy Cox, 9/26/12, 10:34 AM: I have an absolute rule with the media. I never talk on background or off the record. Webb -30-

“It’s the BIG one, Lamont! ‘Lizabeth! ‘Lizabeth!”

For six dizzying weeks, the Hubbell encounter was a flat-out honkin' Midway thrill ride/CREDIT: zettwoch.blogspot.com

To Webb Hubbell, 9/26/12, 10:49 a.m.: Can you tell me about your fact-finding efforts to resolve the UFO conundrum for President Clinton? How and when did the subject initially come up? With whom did you consult – agencies, contacts? What did you discover, where did that effort fall short, how much time did you invest in your investigation? Was it a solo project or did you have staffers working with you? Did you work with [Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy] John Gibbons, or around him? How seriously did the White House take [billionaire philanthropist] Laurance Rockefeller’s initiative? Was he successful in his efforts to personally bring this issue to the attention of the Clintons? Were you satisfied with the access you were afforded? Obviously I’ve got a lot of questions, sorry. -30-