Possible CBS source lied before

WASHINGTON — Bill Burkett, who has emerged as a possible CBS source for disputed memos about President Bush's Guard service, has a long history of making charges against Bush and the Texas National Guard.

But Burkett's allegations have changed over the years and have been dismissed as baseless by former Guard colleagues, state legislators and others.

Even Burkett has admitted some of his allegations are false.

Burkett wrote a long indictment against Bush for a Web site in 2003 in which he said he personally was ordered to "alter personnel records of George W. Bush." In that article, Burkett said that when he refused he was sent to Panama as punishment, where he contracted a disabling disease.

But when asked about that charge by the Houston Chronicle in February, Burkett said, "That statement was not accurate, that is overstated."

Burkett, 54, of Baird, Texas, has refused to return calls since the CBS report on Bush's Guard service ran last week.

On Thursday, the Washington Post and the New York Times named Burkett as a possible source for documents CBS used that experts have called fakes. The documents were faxed from a Kinko's in Abilene, the closest commercial copier to Burkett's home in Baird.

The CBS report used documents signed by since-deceased Texas Air National Guard Lt. Col. Jerry Killian to suggest Bush disobeyed a direct order to take a flight physical in 1972.

If Burkett is the source of the CBS documents he must have recently obtained them. In earlier interviews, he described years of fruitless searching.

One month ago, in an essay posted on a progressive Web site, Burkett theorized that Killian would have been a likely person to know more about Bush's service. But, he conceded, "I have found no documentation from LTC Killian's hand or staff that indicate that this unit was involved in any complicit way to ... cover for the failures of 1Lt. Bush .. " Burkett went on the say, "On the contrary, LTC Killian's remarks are rare."

Several people with connections to the Texas National Guard immediately suspected Burkett was the source of the CBS report last week and saw it as part of an ongoing vendetta with Bush and the Guard.

Burkett's attorney, David Van Os, said Thursday, "My client has not authorized me to talk about this matter." Van Os issued a statement saying Burkett, "no longer trusts any possible outcome of speaking to the press on any issue regarding George W. Bush."