Saccone makes the this statement in one of his ads running in the Western Pennsylvania television market. The spot is running as a direct campaign ad for Saccone (of the “I’m Rick Saccone and I approved this ad” variety)
“In the Air Force I was Chief Counterintelligence Officer in South Korea and then a diplomat in North Korea” — Rick Saccone, transcribed from television advertisement approved by Rick Saccone, Feb 25th, 2018
The clear intent of this statement is to leave the viewer with the impression that Saccone was in charge of US counterintelligence operations in Korea and that at some later time he was sent to North Korea to negotiate on behalf of the United States as an accredited diplomat.
A cursory examination of Saccone’s published service record, reveals that neither of those impressions can possibly be true and according to dictionary.com a lie is
2. something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture:
and Merriam-Webster
2. to create a false or misleading impression
At the time Saccone retired from the Air Force in 1994 he held the rank of Captain. He served in The Air Force Office of Special Investigations, most likely stationed at Osan AB. The idea that an Air Force captain ran the US counterintelligence operation in Korea is absurd on its face. His duties probably consisted of briefing Air Force personnel at the base about potential threats passed to him from Washington (generated by the CIA, DIA, NSA, FBI and other organizations actively involved in counterintelligence operations) or running background checks on girlfriends, local vendors or prostitutes to make sure they weren’t North Korean assets. To imply that an OSI captain was in charge of counterintelligence in Korea is a lie.
Likewise, the US does not send captains to hostile countries to negotiate on the behalf of the US. I suspect he was attached to a diplomatic mission as some type of security asset and spent a few days in North Korea watching out for real diplomats. US diplomats are either presidentially appointed ambassadors or Foreign Service Officers. Saccone was neither of those things. His claim is another lie.
People get fired all the time for this kind of resume fluffing.
Some questions for Mr. Saccone
- In your position as Chief Counterintelligence Officer in South Korea, how many people reported to you?
- How many undercover assets did you manage as Chief Counterintelligence Officer in Korea?
- How long did you spend as Chief Counterintelligence Officer in Korea?
- How many plots did you personally uncover as Chief Counterintelligence Officer in Korea?
- How long did you spend in North Korea?
- What were your specific duties in North Korea?
Remember that Saccone has also touted his time in Iraq as an enhanced interrogator at Abu Ghraib prison.
Conor Lamb can still use your help.