Information Release
Though the shooting occurred on Saturday, February 11, news of it was not released until after 2 PM, eastern Standard Time on Sunday, February 12. Kathryn Garcia, a reporter for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, broke the story at 1:48 PM after receiving an 11 AM call from Katharine Armstrong, the owner of the ranch where the shooting occurred. Armstrong had notified Cheney earlier in the morning that she was going to inform the news media about the incident. She said Cheney agreed. Armstrong said that Whittington did not announce his location, and this led to the incident.
According to White House Press secretary Scott McClellan, news at the White House about the shooting "... was coming into people back here, all the way at 3 AM in the morning and beyond." McClellan would not state when the President first learned that Cheney had shot Whittington. When McClellan was asked if Andy Card had told Karl Rove that Cheney was the shooter, McClellan said: "... we still didn't have all the details at that point and additional details were coming into Andy Card at even three am in the morning and beyond."
The White House did not disclose the accident until a press conference on Sunday afternoon. McClellan said he did not know that Cheney had shot someone until that Sunday morning. He remarked that he did ask the Vice President's office to release the information earlier. He said: "I think you can always look back at these issues and look at how to do a better job."
On February 15, Cheney agreed to comment publicly about the accident on the Fox News Channel. He had previously avoided reporters by leaving an Oval Office meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Cheney visited Whittington in the hospital on Monday, February 13, and at other times, telephoned him.
On the Fox News interview, Cheney accepted full responsibility for the accident.
Cheney acknowledged that White House Counselor Dan Bartlett and Scott McClellan "urged us to get the story out", but Cheney said he was more concerned about accuracy and felt that Armstrong was the best person to make the announcement.
Read more about this topic: Dick Cheney Hunting Incident
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