(MintPress)—The co-owner of a government contracted military public relations firm, Leonie Industries, admitted to hosting fake websites in the names of two USA Today reporters who, in February, published a not-so-favorable story on the company’s questionable effectiveness in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Camille Chidiac, who started the company with his sister, Rema Dupont, stepped forward after Leonie announced it had hired an outside firm to conduct an internal investigation into allegations that someone within the company created fake Facebook and Twitter accounts, along with Wikipedia websites, in the name of Tom Vanden Brook and Ray Locker, the USA Today reporters who wrote the story, “U.S. ‘info ops’ programs dubious, costly.”
Chidiac issued a statement Thursday, claiming responsibility for the fake websites. Chidiac said the sites were labeled as ‘unofficial fan sites,’ and while negative comments about the journalists were included, he claims he did not intend to smear the reporters’ names. The sites have since been taken down.
“Due to the un-moderated nature of the forums, some of these discussions quickly degenerated from legitimate criticism to immature and irrelevant rhetoric by unknown users,” Chidiac said in his statement. “Following USA Today’s release of a new article falsely claiming a ‘smear campaign’ had been instituted against its journalists, I had the blogs audited and then removed so that there would be no consequences to Leonie for something I did personally.”
While not taking blame for a ‘smear campaign,’ Chidiac’s statement goes on to apologize for his actions and says, as a result, he is giving up partial ownership in the company. According to National Public Radio (NPR), his share of the company is 49 percent.
“I recognize and deeply regret that my actions have caused concerns for Leonie and the U.S. military,” he said. “This was never my intention. As an immediate corrective actions, I am in the process of completely divesting my remaining minority ownership from Leonie.”
USA Today published a story following Chidiac’s released statement, which indicated the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta were aware of the statement and that the department has been directed to review the matter and “take appropriate action.”
Currently, federal law does not allow for the Defense Department to issue funding for propaganda to be used on domestic targets. However, Chidiac said Leonie Industries’ federal funds were not used in his website creating endeavors.
Chidiac served as the President and CEO from 2004 to 2008, after which he continued to manage communication campaigns in more than 50 countries, according to his website.
A statement released by Leonie Industries further distances itself from its co-owner, maintaining its stance that “no Leonie employee was engaged in anonymous online activity directed against the reporters.” It does state, however, that Chidiac had accepted responsibility for the actions — news they learned May 20.
Chidiac stepped down from his official working position with the company in 2008, according to the release. “ … Since then, he has not been involved in any way with the operation and management of the company and its contracts,” the statement says.
The Feb. 29 USA Today article took a look at how much Leonie had been paid by the government — $580 million in 2009, and $120 million since then, for campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. The investigation, conducted by the reporters, included a number of interviews and internal military reports, which they claim showed, “Pentagon officials have little proof the programs work and they won’t make public where the money goes.”
The story goes on to give details of the information campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, conducted by Leonie Industries, which include broadcasts, leaflets, concerts and billboards. An interview with an anonymous senior Pentagon official is quoted in the story insinuating a lack of careful planning and effective use of funds.
“There has been such a desperate need to address communications vacuums that sometimes there has not been the proper coordination between thinking ahead what the mission is and the money that you apply to it,” the official told USA Today reporters.