In other news, days after Jay Leno apologized
to Richard Jewell on air,
P I edmont College has agreed to pay
the former Olympic bombing suspect Richard Jewell
t o drop his lawsuit against the college.
Did 60 Minutes'story change
your opinion on Richard Jewell?
Richard Jewell is suing us for defamation.
Jewell's lawsuit names both the newspaper
and you personally, Kathy.
And it's not a frivolous suit.
I've never been sued before.
Wh-What does this mean?
What do we do?
Well, the good news is, the AJC won't hang you out to dry.
If you stick with us, we'll craft a joint defense
and fight this to the end.
We have a strong legal argument and a decent chance of winning.
Plus, he's one man with a real estate lawyer versus
all these suits and all this paper.
We can bury them in paper, appeal, change venues.
Even if we never really win,
there's lots of ways we can avoid losing.
But listen, Kath,
if we choose to fight, it's to the death.
Jewell's got a great underdog story, and he's a fighter.
We'll, we'll probably win, but you might spend
t h e next five or six years in and out of courtrooms.
And you're gonna have to sit across
from Richard Jewell himself over and over.
Now, if you don't have the intestinal fortitude to do that,
we need to know.
What's the alternative?
I mean, I-is there an alternative?
We could do what everyone else is doing...
Leno, Brokaw, CNN... And settle or apologize,
but both you and the paper would take a reputational hit.
How bad?
The paper would survive.
You know how this business is.
It's all about credibility.
Yeah.
It would be the end of your career as a journalist.
At the AJCor anywhere else.
I c an't even process what that would mean.
Well, look at it this way.
If-if we settle and apologize,
we get this all over with all at once.
Nothing hanging over your head, no uncertainty.
You-you could start fresh
and become a preschool teacher
or start a goat farm, whatever normal people do.
Y o u're young enough to have a second act of some kind.
What dopeople do after something like this?
A big, public... shaming?
Why don't you ask Richard Jewell?
Take the long weekend to think it over.
Aunt Kathy. Aunt Kathy came.
- Shit. - I thought for sure
you were gonna miss it.
Hi, sweetheart.
How you doing?
Hi.
Uh... oh, all right.
And those are all my presents.
- Wow. You have a lot of presents, huh? - Kathy.
Look at you.
Honey pie.
Of course we would have invited you.
We just never thought you'd come.
Where is Mom?
I-I was thinking of staying for a few days, just to get away.
Oh, because of that thing?
I h at must be so hard. I can't even imagine.
Aunt Kathy,
you should come to the Girl Scouts tomorrow.
- Wouldn't that be fun? - That's a great idea.
Y e ah, why don't you go play with your friends?
Or if you're staying, you can do
a career day thing for my sixth-graders.
I h ey would just love to meet a real big-city journalist.
I'm gonna get a soda. You want anything?
I'm fine, thank you.
Maybe you want to do that inside?
Sure.
Hey, sunflower.
- Hey, Mom. - Come here.
Oh.
- So good to see you. Mmm. - Mmm.
Mm. You're so thin.
What's your secret?
Stress.
D o n't you listen to your sisters.
They're just jealous because you're out there kicking butt.
Eh, it's not them.
This other stuff?
That's just nonsense. It'll pass.
You're a winner, Kathy. You always have been.
My brag wall, hmm.
I have to show you off a little.
I'm ean, the family photos are cute and everything,
but, well, everybody in Athens
has a wall full of Santa photos and such.
Nobody's got headlines.
I - If you took down a-all my articles,
what would you put up?
Why ever would I do that?
Well, if you had to.
Wh-What would you put up for me?
Well, I guess your prom queen portrait.
And cotillion.
That's 25 years ago.
They're nice pictures.
Do you really think that you would be happier
if you had a passel of kids and a McMansion, hmm?
Please.
That was never for you, even when you were a child.
Now, you-you risked everything
and you actually made something of your life.
I h ere'd be nothing left without those headlines.
I'd be erased.
Don't be morose.
Besides, there's nothing on heaven and earth
that would get me to, to take those down anyway.
I'm proud of you, sunflower.
- Yeah? - Oh, oh, oh. Come here.
Come on. Oh...
Mom...
It's all right, sweetie.
Here, why don't you stay for a while?
There's always a place for you here.
Grandma, Grandma.
We're gonna open presents now.
One minute, sweetie. Okay?
- -Why don't you go on upstairs, have a lie-down?
Then, when you feel ready,
go get yourself a dress out of the big closet
and come on down to the party, okay?
Okay.
I'm in.
Richard Jewell can kiss my ass.
Jack...
Yes, this is Special Agent Jack Brennan.
I need to talk to Agent Embry. It's urgent.
I really can't let anyone back there.
I h e back office is for employees only.
My sister is an assistant manager at a Wal-Mart,
so I know that you have the authority
to allow me to run a search.
Now, I'm an ATF agent. I am in the middle
- of an investigation... - Agent Brennan.
FBI.
Tracy, you need to get this federal agent
whatever he's looking for,
or you'll be hearing from Washington.
If you have any problems, I encourage you
to call FBI headquarters. Number's on the card.
Well, thanks.
Don't mention it.
What arewe looking for here, exactly?
Look here.
Cash purchase from one week ago
right here in Murphy.
Any of those items mean anything to you?
I...
Every single component that Eric needs
to build his signature bomb
is on this receipt.
What? It's got to be a bizarre coincidence.
You don't buy these items all together
unless you're building a bomb.
Look here. The way Eric builds these bombs
is he uses the galvanized pipe as a container
for the explosives.
So a ten-inch section of six-inch pipe
will hold about, I don't know,
ten and a half pounds of TNT.
That's a lot.
And if he builds these bombs
according to the parts...
...every single one of them
will have the destructive power
of the one that was detonated
at Centennial Olympic Park.
What do you mean, every single one of these bombs?
These are not the parts for onebomb.
There's enough here for eightbombs.
You were right.
About all of it.
Yeah.
What do I do now?
You're doing it.
You follow the truth wherever it leads.
I've spent the day in Janet Reno's office,
acting as a shit umbrella for the entire Bureau.
She's demanding names of who to haul before Congress
for the Richard Jewell situation.
Oh.
Well, sir, I...
No-no-no. You got nothing to worry about.
I don't throw my own people under the bus.
Yes, sir.
Right now, though, I need you back in North Carolina
pushing full steam ahead.
Actually, sir, I came here because I believe
we need to change course. Dramatically.
I'm s... You k... you kidding me?
No, sir. I believe the only way forward in Nantahala
is to formally charge Eric Rudolph
with the Olympic Park bombing.
I'm s... Am I on Candid Camera right now? I mean...
The reason we can't catch Eric Rudolph is because
the locals are protecting him.
They're protecting him because they see him as a hero.
If we show them Rudolph bombed the Olympic Games,
they'll stop.
And then we'll at least have a shot
at finally catching him.
It also has the virtue of being true.
Eric Rudolph is the Olympic Park bomber.
The proof is all right here.
It's not happening.
Look. I know you're passionate
about your little piece of the pie.
And that's great. But I have to think
of the organization as a whole.
Daddy knows best, huh?
That's right.
Well, sir...
frankly... you have absolutely no clue.
You're busy maneuvering and cutting deals
in some Washington corridor,
playing cover-your-ass with Janet Reno.
You have no clue what's happening on the ground.
You have no clue what's going on in this case.
I do.
And my team look to me to keep them safe.
So do the citizens of Nantahala.
So do the militiamen, even though they might not admit it.
My duty is to them.
I'm not gonna sacrifice their lives
so you can look good for Janet Reno.
Or for NBC News.
Little Jack Brennan, all grown up.
I love it. I love the passion.
Let me ask you a question, though.
How much power do you think you actually have here?
I have enough to make things very uncomfortable for you, sir.
It's your investigation.
You want to charge Eric Rudolph with Centennial Park,
you go ahead, but I'll tell you this:
it'll be the last thing you ever do as law enforcement.
Richard Jewell will get a job as a cop before you do.
You want to die on that hill?
I'm not gonna stop you.
It's an honor to have you here, sir.
N o w, we got three concentric layers of perimeter defenses.
Booby traps throughout the woods,
and every approach is defended in depth.
The FBI has no idea what they're up against here.
No, sir, they do not.
C a ptain Blackburn here trained me personally many years ago.
So, you're gonna have your SPIKE teams
come in here and fight the FBI?
No. You're gonna run, Rudolph, run.
And the captain here is gonna get you out of here,
safe and sound, for good.
We've activated a network of safe houses.
And we have one of our elite SPIKE squads standing by
to shuttle you out of the state.
And this nightmare can finally be over.
- For all of us. - That's right.
And you're confident about the operational security?
And these are trusted men?
These are men I trust with my life.
All right.
Well, North Carolina to Guatemala or Panama
or wherever is easy.
I think the hard part's getting out of Nantahala.
We got a plan for that. Check it out.
We found a spot in the FBI perimeter
that we can exploit.
Now, tonight, right after sundown,
my regulators will create a diversion.
Okay, they'll start popping off firecrackers
and hot-rodding on ATVs.
A n d this... will pull the FBI's attention.
They're gonna assume that it's you going for freedom.
Right.
While they're distracted,
you will rendezvous with a single ATV
- right where we're standing here. - Right here.
And once our spotters give the all clear,
you'll blast through the FBI perimeter.
And we'll convey you to the SPIKE teams standing by
that are ten miles away with clean vehicles.
After that, you're as good as gone.
If I could make a few suggestions?
Sure.
I think we'd be better served
with the diversion right here, in this clearance here.
See, this way I'd be closer to the main FBI base,
- get the leadership involved. - Absolutely.
I want to thank you for everything you've done for me.
At great personal cost. I'll never forget it.
- Thank you. - You'll always be in my prayers.
You're in ours.
We have gunfire,
p o ssible explosives, vehicles on the move.
Move! Move!
Deliver shooter positions, ASAP. We're on our way!
Where the hell is he?
Go, go, go.
I hope I didn't keep anyone waiting.
Everyone ready now?
O u r considered position is that your lawsuit is without merit,
a n d we're willing to go to court and fight it.
We... we have settlements with NBC, CNN, ABC,
the New York Post.
You're the AJC.
I thought we were coming here to talk about a settlement.
And an apology.
The AJChas nothing to apologize for.
Neither does Ms. Scruggs.
It's our position that our stories met
or exceeded every journalistic standard.
A n d we'll take this to the Supreme Court
if we have to.
- Why, of all the bullshit... - Ma'am.
Ma'am. Ms. Scruggs.
You told lies about me in the newspaper.
You were the first one, and because of those lies,
I can't get a job.
I can't go to the food store, I can't open my curtains.
And the truth is, no matter what happens here
or in court, until the day I die,
there will be people who believe that I'm a murderer.
Because of what you wrote.
You don't have to respond to that, Kathy.
Maybe someone who's smart and accomplished,
like you are, has less experience
screwing things up than a guy like me does,
but I think you know in your heart
what you have to do so's you can look in the mirror
and feel okay.
And that's what I'm offering here.
Um... I don't want some big battle.
But you got it wrong.
It all started with you.
I'd like your help to end it.
I don't think...
You don't have to say anything, Kathy.
I didn't screw up.
I wasn't wrong.
Yes, you were inconvenienced.
Yes, you were made uncomfortable.
My job is not to make you comfortable.
My job is to report the facts
as I uncover them.
That's what journalists do.
Every statement in my article met or exceeded
our standard guidelines for sourcing.
I did what I was supposed to do.
I did my job.
That's journalism by the book.
There's no way in hell I or anyone in this room
is gonna apologize for that.
Yeah, but you were wrong.
I was not wrong.
I reported that the FBI was looking at you.
That's a fact.
I reported that you received bomb training.
That's a fact.
I reported that you fit the profile
of a hero bomber; that's also a fact.
Which profile?
According to who? There isn't any one profile...
We use "voice-of-God."
That's an editorial decision made at the board level.
I conform to our editorial guidelines.
Y o u're... so you're trying to say that this headline
and this story... aren't false?
I'm saying in journalism,
it's about proper or improper
reporting of the facts.
This story was proper.
This isn't about some abstract journalistic principle.
This is about this human being
sitting right here in front of you.
Look at him.
Can't you do the right thing and just admit
w h at we all know to be the truth?
I stand by what I wrote.
Every word of it.
Okay, we'll see you in court.
Ms. Scruggs...
No, no, come on, come on.
Now, that is the very definition of a bagful of assholes.
Yeah, they want a fight? We'll kick the shit out of...
You think they made her say all that stuff?
W h at? Did you hear what she just said?
Y e ah, but she doesn't look okay, does she?
What do you care? Come on. Screw her.
He made us look like goddamn fools.
Putting my men out there to get shot at
a n d then standing us up like goddamn assholes.
Hey, where the hell were you?
Where the hell were you, huh, asshole?!
You and your big shit-for-brains plan.
You stood us up.
Oh, don't give me that shit.
I was on my way to the rendezvous
when a whole squad of FBI agents
came running up on me in what you told me
was your zone of goddamn confidence!
You guys all talk so tough. Yeah, right.
I'm ean, look at my leg. They almost killed me.
- Okay, wait a second... - Those shit bags!
I told you we should've hit them harder.
Y o u need to show 'em whose town this is.
You need to stand up to them.
I h ey're making us look like goddamn pussies!
Don't tread on me? Bullshit, man!
They're treading all over us.
You need to keep your powder dry, Pot Boy.
I've been saying this for months now.
I told you over and over and over again.
We need to punish them.
Shit, draw some blood.
It's time.
We'll discuss this in counsel.
Talk about it. Mealy-mouth dither.
That's just what the Feds are expecting.
You know what, I'm out of here.
I'll be in touch when I know
I can trust you all to protect me!
- We go right now and start taking frigging scalps. - Yeah!
We have weapons, we have gear.
- Yeah! - What the hell we waiting for?
I-I-I lift up the rocks and expose the bad shit underneath
s o my sisters can wear their shitty Talbots party dresses
and not let it touch the...
And I'msupposed to apologize?
I-I'm the bad guy here?
Hey, it was a good tip and a killer story.
And it was sourced to Washington.
I did everything right.
And now... nobody's got my back.
I got your back.
Screw these guys.
Do you think I ruined his life?
Do you?
Jesus, Kathy, you got to forget this guy.
Okay? He's messing you up.
What guy?
Look, you want to forget?
I got something here.
I already tried that.
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.
This is better. It's a little up, a little down.
You know, just like in the old days.
You do have my back, huh?
And a dramatic twist of fate in the case of Richard Jewell.
We have learned that a number of major news outlets,
including ABC, NBC, the New York Post, Time magazine,
a major Atlanta radio station, and our own CNN news
have all settled their lawsuits with Jewell
for undisclosed sums
in the wake of Jewell's appearance on60 Minutes.
While we believed at the time, sincerely,
that the story of the hero bomber was true, it was not.
By labeling Mr. Jewell a hero bomber, we have contributed
a great deal of pain and difficulty
suffered by him and his family.
And I and all the newsroom staff offer Mr. Jewell
our sincere apology.
This wave of settlements and apologies leaves
only one major media holdout,
theAtlanta Journal-Constitution,
w h ose own Kathy Scruggs wrote the initial story
accusing Richard Jewell...
I know you're in there.
I-I told Lindsay to tell you,
I... Bill, I'm, I'm sick as a dog.
I went to the doctor...
I'm not leaving.
She told me.
Way she said it, I almost believed her.
Yeah, she's good.
Kathy, you know how we're always telling ourselves
we can stop any time we want to?
Now is the time to prove it.
You understand me?
It's up to you.
But I won't be back.
Y o u know... there was no one big lie here.
No one huge bad decision.
Just made little adjustments, little accommodations.
One by one, they... added up to all this.
How do you take it?
Milk, no sugar.
So, what do you do?
When what?
When the organization,
the... chain of command,
the institution you gave your life to,
that... you thought was some shining beacon of truth,
turns out to be as messed up as all the others?
Well...
...you know the parable of the fool
who built his house on sand?
Built a big, beautiful house right on the beach,
a n d the first storm come in, blew that house right down.
Now, his neighbor, a wise man, he built a house, too,
but before he started building,
he drilled down through the sand,
anchored his foundation in the bedrock.
So when the storm passed,
his house was still standing.
See, bedrock could mean... faith,
substance, truth.
And the way Jesus tells it
is two separate guys.
Wise man, fool.
But, see, I've come to believe
maybe it's the same guy, you know?
Got the fool, had to build that house
on the sand and have it come down on him
maybe one or two times before he built on bedrock.
And he becomes wise.
'Cause whether you like parables or not,
that's pretty much how it works.
Well... there's only one way to fix this.
And that's put Rudolph behind bars.
Yep.
And there's only one man who can do that.
It's not the wise man, it's not the fool.
Yeah.
That bedrock of truth
better be pretty damn strong.
Yeah.
This is a joke, right?
There's no other way.
It's a Hail Mary, but it's the only play here.
Are you trying to get yourself killed
'cause you shit the bed on Richard Jewell?
Jack, it wasn't our fault.
We did the best we could. And we were following orders.
Y o u were following orders. But I made those choices.
And I have to make them right.
No, you don't... Jack.
You're one man in a big organization.
Nobody expects that of you.
That's the problem. Nobody expects it of me.
I've been toeing the company line my whole life.
I can either stay loyal to FBI command
or I can stay loyal to the truth.
Come on, Stacey. You've been telling me that
since the day we met.
Yeah, but I never expected you to listen.
Work with Joe Holliwell, prepare the paperwork.
I want to charge Eric Rudolph with Centbom
- as soon as I get back. - Yeah, okay.
But, boss, what if you don't come back?
Shit.
Well, well, well.
Thank you for making this happen.
I got to say, I think you fellas are playing with fire here.
I lay ten-to-one odds that your heads are gonna wind up mounted
on the wall of a militia compound.
Come on. They're right out here.
Be back later, Lee.
Okay, Sheriff.
This looks like our ride.
- Get 'em in the van now! - Let's go, let's go.
We don't have a weapon.
- Shut up! - Move, move, move.
Move, move.
- Let's go! - Go, go, go!