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Politics Hutcherson Says He Won’t Share His White House Tape (At Least, Not With The Stranger)

Posted by on April 12 at 14:40 PM

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If you’ve been following the strange saga of Pastor Ken Hutcherson’s travels abroad as a “Special Envoy” for the White House, you’ll remember that when this whole thing started, Hutcherson promised to produce a video tape that would prove the White House had given him the “Special Envoy” status he was claiming.

That was more than three weeks ago.

Since then, the White House has repeatedly denied that it gave Hutcherson any titles, “Special Envoy” or otherwise, in advance of his trip to Latvia.

There have been numerous accounts, however, of Hutcherson suggesting or outright stating that he was representing the White House as he lobbied against efforts to promote gay rights in Latvia. A local lawyer, Dave Coffman, has suggested that these claims by Hutcherson could have violated federal laws against posing as an official U.S. representative while abroad. Coffman filed a complaint with the FBI in late March, and said he received a follow-up call from the bureau on April 2. (The FBI will not comment on investigations unless charges are brought.)

Hutcherson, for his part, has maintained that he did indeed have support from the White House for his trip, and he has bridled at being called, in his words, “a liar.” As a German press agency reported in late March:

White House officials contacted by Deutsche Presse-Agentur denied that Hutcherson had any link with [the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives].

Hutcherson “was not appointed ‘special envoy’ by [the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives],” said White House spokeswoman Alyssa McClenning.

He has no official status or links with the body which would legitimately allow him to claim to represent the White House on a foreign visit, she added.

Hutcherson responded angrily to the comment, saying that he “did not appreciate being called a flat liar” and that the White House press office were unaware of his role.

Because Hutcherson himself set up the viewing of this alleged video as the proof that his version of events is true, I’ve been trying for weeks to get a look at the tape. I’m not the only one.

Hutcherson has been a hard man to get in touch with. However, I finally managed to reach him on his cell phone yesterday.

When we spoke, Hutcherson reversed course and said he had the video, but would not be showing it to me.

“Oh yeah, I have it,” he told me. But, he added: “My relationship with the White House is much more important than my relationship with you.”

Hutcherson said he believes that if he produces the video, it will be used to embarrass the White House.

“I’m not going to give you information so you can go and attack the White House,” he told me. “Either way you win.”

If he doesn’t show the video, he remains vulnerable to charges that it doesn’t exist and that he was exaggerating or outright fabricating his “Special Envoy” status. If he does produce it, he risks further eroding his relationship with the White House.

Hutcherson told me that he believes the director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives recently put out a statement supporting Hutcherson’s version of events. I can find no evidence of this, and it seems unlikely that such a statement would have been missed by the reporters who are interested in this story. A phone call (today) and an email (yesterday) to the Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives requesting clarification on this point have not been returned.

That’s fine with Hutcherson.

“You tell the White House, if they’re not going to say anymore, that’s fine,” Hutcherson told me.

Hutcherson seems to hope this story will stop here, with him claiming the White House version of events is wrong and the White House declining to comment further.

Perhaps it will. Or perhaps he’ll be willing to show his alleged tape to a reporter for a paper that he isn’t so upset with.

Hutcherson certainly sounded fed up with The Stranger in our conversation yesterday, which was a dramatic change of tone. After calling me his “brother” in phone and email messages over the past weeks, he angrily told me yesterday not to call him anymore, said The Stranger had “attacked” him, and said he would be happy to show his video in a court fight against The Stranger—which I interpreted as a thinly-veiled threat of legal action against the paper.

I told him I was simply trying to follow up on a test he himself had set up: The alleged video.

“Brother, I’m not giving you nothing,” Hutcherson said to me. “Don’t call me. Bye.” And then he hung up.

CommentsRSS icon

1

With the Seattle branch of the FBI so terribly understaffed, unfortunately, I don't expect anything we'll come from this until after Bush is out of office.

2

Well without The Stranger, Hutch loses his most prominent soapbox. So now everybody wins!

3

A person in the news who doesn't trust the Stranger. How bizarre!

4

Eli, PLEASE DONT LET THIS GO, burn the fucker down to the ground for being a big fat homophobic LIAR! Any of us would be charged and sitting our asses in a jail cell if we tried to pull what he's pulled, wtf!!?? It is against the law to do what he's done, and if he did have the white house backing, then fine, go after their ass for promoting said above agenda.

5

It would be a shame if this story just dies, if Hutcherson can get away with misrepresenting himself and lying. Let's hope the FBI forces his hand and makes him show that video (how long till it winds up on You Tube?). He can't hide behind the White House's skirts forever, the little coward.

6

Wow. That's one freaked-out fake envoy.

Go Eli!

7

muwahahahahahhaha. You know, I think Jesus had a problem with lying - you know, that whole 'false witness' thing. Wonder how Hutch feels about that?

Hey Hutch - you're a flat liar! Booga booga booga!

8

You should have said,

"Good bye Liar!"

9

I'm not all that surprised he won't show you the (alleged) tape. He's dug himself a hole he can't get out of. His only out is if this story dies quietly and goes away. If pressed, he either (A) can't produce the tape and gets branded a liar, and possibly a criminal, or (B) he does produce the tape, and makes the White House look retarded, or perhaps makes himself look retarded for misinterpreting what the Faith Based office told him (this seems like the most likely probability to me).

I suggest keeping up the pressure. If you continue to publish follow up stories, and continue to call the FBI for comment, then that will keep the story in the spotlight and the FBI can't drop it. If you drop it, and nobody cares, the FBI may shuffle it aside as a low priority.

Go Eli!

10

Don't let this go! I'm waiting with baited breath for each update. I'd really love to watch Hutch go down in flames, maybe then his followers would think twice about all the hatred they've been spoonfed as gospel truth.

11

DONT HATE BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HELL. REPENT NOW, ACCEPT JESUS, AND LIVE ETERNITY. ITS THAT SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

12

DONT HATE BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HELL. REPENT NOW, ACCEPT JESUS, AND LIVE ETERNITY. ITS THAT SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

13

DONT HATE BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HELL. REPENT NOW, ACCEPT JESUS, AND LIVE ETERNITY. ITS THAT SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

14

DONT HATE BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HELL. REPENT NOW, ACCEPT JESUS, AND LIVE ETERNITY. ITS THAT SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

15

DONT HATE BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HELL. REPENT NOW, ACCEPT JESUS, AND LIVE ETERNITY. ITS THAT SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

16

DONT HATE BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HELL. REPENT NOW, ACCEPT JESUS, AND LIVE ETERNITY. ITS THAT SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

17

OOPS, DIDNT THINK IT WAS POSTING. SORRY, BUT I HOPE YOU GOT THE POINT......

18

yeah, we got the point...but we just don't know if it's a sarcastic one. either way, jesus would not approve of hutch, of course, because jesus was not an asshole, far as we know.

19

Heya ILUVPITBULLS:

In other news . . .

Heaven's officials contacted by Deutsche Presse-Agentur denied that Hutcherson had any link with Jesus and or YHWH.

Hutcherson “was not appointed ‘special envoy’ by Jesus and /or YHWH ,” said Heavenly spokeswoman St. Mary the Virgin.

20

Heya ILUVPITBULLS:

In other news . . .

Heaven's officials contacted by Deutsche Presse-Agentur denied that Hutcherson had any link with Jesus and or YHWH.

Hutcherson “was not appointed ‘special envoy’ by Jesus and /or YHWH ,” said Heavenly spokeswoman St. Mary the Virgin.

21

The Gosple means good news. I question Pastor Hutcherson's desire to help people. He should be open and forth coming. Either he is lying or he is telling the truth and the White House is trying to distence themself from being connected to his harsh style. The GOOD NEWS would be for him to simply open up and let the truth be known.

22

The Gosple means good news. I question Pastor Hutcherson's desire to help people. He should be open and forth coming. Either he is lying or he is telling the truth and the White House is trying to distence themself from being connected to his harsh style. The GOOD NEWS would be for him to simply open up and let the truth be known.

23

The Gosple means good news. I question Pastor Hutcherson's desire to help people. He should be open and forth coming. Either he is lying or he is telling the truth and the White House is trying to distence themself from being connected to his harsh style. The GOOD NEWS would be for him to simply open up and let the truth be known.

24

Can any of the idiots in here read? There is a little sign saying only click post once. Once as in one time, not 2 or 3

25

I've noticed Hutcherson has not made comment on the passage of the domestic partnership bill. If nothing else (like criminal charges), maybe he has run himself to ground and only the prayer warriors will have to listen to his hate speech.

26

The only white house that ken hutcherson has ever even been in is one with a giant picture of colonel sanders head above it. and judging by his fat face he has been there a lot.

27

ken hutcherson is not real. He is an imaginary figure created by the government to scare gays. They just taped a goatee to a turd, took a bunch of pictures and forwarded it to every newspaper. Seriously, how can you look at the picture of his face and not see that it is actually a turd with cat hair taped to it to look like a goatee.

28

If he's not a liar let's see the video!! Start emailing Hutcherson to post it on the church's website!

29

He claims he's NOT a liar?? Then why does he call himself a "Dr" when he has NO formal training in theology? Receiving a doctorate from a real institution of higher learning is a respected honor--yet he lists no formal education higher than a bachelor's degree (and even that was NOT in theology). If he's got the degree, let's hear from which institution--so we can check his credentials. Sounds more like a cult than a church. So who's the LIAR now?

30

Ken Hutcherson is a liar.

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