Info conflicts prompt '60 Minutes' to review source's Benghazi account

CBS News said it's investigating if a source was misleading in a story that raised doubts about the U.S. response to the consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya. CBS said Thursday its "60 Minutes" newsmagazine learned of new information that contradicts the account given by a contractor using the pseudonym "Morgan Jones" concerning his actions when the diplomatic compound was attacked Sept. 11, 2012, and three members of the diplomatic corps, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed. The New York Times identified Jones as Dylan Davies, a Blue Mountain security officer hired to help protect the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. The "60 Minutes" segment broadcast Oct. 27 featured Jones who said he reached the Benghazi compound on the night of the attack, climbed a wall and fought off a militant, events he also recounted in a book being published by Threshold Editions, part of Simon and Schuster publishing house, a CBS unit. The segment cast doubt on whether the Obama administration sent all possible help to try to save the lives of Stevens and three other Americans and was cited by congressional Republicans demanding to know why a military rescue was not attempted. However, the Times said, Davies told the FBI he was not on the scene until the morning after the attack. Two senior government officials said the information Davies provided in the FBI interview was consistent with an incident report filed by Blue Mountain. Davies disavowed the incident report, saying in The Daily Beast last week he did not write it and wasn't responsible for accounting it contained, the Times said. Jennifer Robinson, a spokeswoman for Threshold Editions, said, "Although we have not seen the FBI report, in light of these revelations we will review the book and take appropriate action with regard to its publication status." CBS News had acknowledged that Davies was interviewed by the FBI, but intimated the FBI interview would support Davies' account on "60 Minutes." Jeff Fager, chairman of CBS News and executive producer of "60 Minutes," said Thursday, "We're surprised to hear about this, and if it shows we've been misled, we will make a correction." Throughout the week, CBS News defended Davies, suggesting he was the object of a State Department campaign to quell questioning about the attack. CBS also vouched for the authenticity of Davies' account on "60 Minutes." In a statement to CNN earlier this week, Davies said, "The account in my book is consistent with what I gave to the FBI and U.S. authorities about what happened in Benghazi." CIA employees are scheduled to testify about the attack at a closed-door congressional hearing next week.