Original subtitles

- [Announcer] Tonight on Wise Guy.

(sirens blaring)

(energetic orchestral music)

- How many people did you kill?

- Did Mr. Ketcher's orders include murdering people?

- You were basically murdering people.

- I believed I was acting in the best interest.

- I know nothing about mercenaries, Senator Delaney.

- I'm resigning.

- Don't do that.

- I never wanna see another lie as long as I live.

(suspenseful orchestral music)

- The Senate Committee on Inter-American Affairs

and Intelligence today begins its public hearings.

The committee has been charged

with investigating allegedly unauthorized

and illegal covert operations in the Caribbean basin,

specifically with regard to a plot

to overthrow the government of the nation of Il Pavo.

One key player who will not appear

before the committee is billionaire, Mel Profitt,

who's alleged to have financed in whole

or in part the takeover of Il Pavo.

Profitt died several weeks ago of a drug overdose.

In a bizarre Viking funeral, his body was torched

and then set adrift on Long Island Sound by his sister,

Susan, who was later committed to a mental institution.

Sources have told this reporter

that the involvement of Profitt,

a private citizen in the coup attempt

on Il Pavo will be linked to elements

of the intelligence community, all the way

to the Council of Security advisors, and its chairman,

retired Admiral Walter Strichen,

who's office is located in the White House.

With the arrival of the first witness,

that process is about to begin.

This is Barbara Elkin in Washington.

(sirens blaring)

- [Secretary] Admiral Strichen's office.

- Is the admiral in?

- [Secretary] Who's calling please?

- Herb Ketcher, it's vital that I--

- [Secretary] I'm sorry, the admiral's

not in right now.

- Well, when do you expect him?

- [Secretary] I'm not sure, but if you'd like

to leave a message--

- I've called him 12 times in the last two days.

He has my number.

- [Secretary] Then we will be getting back to you.

- Yeah, fine, thank you.

(sighs)

- [TV announcer] We are now just moments away from the start

of the Senate Investigative hearings.

Senator Pickering's 10-member committee--

- Where's LoCocco?

- He's upstairs.

Anything from on high about gettin' him immunity?

- Well, last time I asked the RD, his exact words

to me were, Frank, we're the bureau.

LoCocco's an agency man.

We do not cross pollinate.

- That stinks, man.

- I'm surprised he's not watchin' this,

seein' how it's his butt in the witness chair tomorrow.

- Yeah well, he likes the unexpected.

He does it, too.

You know, I never thought he'd agree

to stay here under wraps.

- What other choice does he have?

He's turnin' over on a lot of powerful people.

He's gotta know that Ketcher and his friends would love

to drill him a third eye.

- Well, Christmas came early for me this year, Frank.

This subpoena from the committee,

it's like a present under the tree.

- [Frank] Now, what makes you think those Senators

are gonna believe what you have to say?

- Well, I was there when the whole Il Pavo thing

was takin' shape.

I know Ketcher was behind it.

- Ketcher will discredit your testimony in two seconds.

- What are you talkin' about?

I'm a federal agent.

- That committee subpoenaed you because you

are Vinnie Terranova, former employee

of the former Mel Profitt.

Now, you can say what you want about Herb Ketcher

and the plot to overthrow, but sooner or later,

Senator Getzloff and her pack of wolves

are gonna get their chance at you.

And I will bet you dollars to donuts she's gonna ask you

what it felt like to pull the trigger

for Sonny Steelgrave.

He's still in the game, Vince.

Orders are, if you're subpoenaed,

you are not to testify as an agent.

- Hey look, I wanna get Ketcher.

And I'm willin' to put myself on the line to do it.

But I'm not willin' to ruin the rest of my life for nothin'.

- Now, what does that mean?

- Look, Frank, you may think this job is who you are,

but I don't.

I wanna get the hell out of it someday.

I wanna fight with my wife and play with my kids,

worry about my taxes and crabgrass.

But if I testify on national television as a button man

for the mob, none of that is ever gonna happen.

Because as far as anybody I care about's concerned,

I'd be a leper.

So, I'm either gonna appear before the committee

as Vinnie Terranova, OCB operative,

or I'm not gonna appear at all.

(gavel banging)

- Could we bring this hearing room to order please?

Mr. LaLonde, would you please stand

and raise your right hand?

Henri LaLonde, do you swear that the testimony

you're about to give this committee is the truth,

and that you testify without reservation

or purpose of evasion?

- I do.

- Senator Delaney.

- I wanna welcome you, Mr. LaLonde.

Is it fair to say that you have advocated the overthrow

of the recognized government of Il Pavo?

- It is a totalitarian regime

which seized power by fraudulent means.

- So, you have advocated the overthrow

of a recognized government, haven't you?

- Surely, even you, Senator Delaney, would agree

that excising this cancer of despotism

in the hemisphere would be of interest not only

to my people, but to the United States, as well.

- By what means would you excise this cancer?

- The chains of the people cannot be broken merely by words.

- So, we're talking a mercenary invasion?

- Followed by a free and democratic election.

- That you would win?

- Only if it were the will of the people.

- Mr. Chairman, does the Senator need

a simpler explanation of free and democratic?

- Mr. Chairman, this is my time, isn't it?

- Oh, I wasn't aware that this time belonged

to any one individual, Mr. Chairman,

but to the American people.

(gavel banging)

- I may be wrong, but I thought this time belonged

to the searching for truth.

- Indeed, Mr. Chairman.

Who first proposed the idea of a coup

by which you became president of Il Pavo?

- My friend, Herbert Ketcher.

- [Delaney] Are you aware that Mr. Ketcher's a member

of the United States Intelligence Community?

- [Henri] Yes.

- [Delaney] Who was gonna hire and equip the mercenaries

who were gonna stage the invasion?

- [Henri] Herbert Ketcher.

- [Secretary] Admiral Strichen's office.

- I have to speak to the admiral now.

I don't give a damn about his meeting.

- [Secretary] I'm sorry, the admiral's not available.

- I am being crucified.

He has to speak to me.

I will not be ignored.

- [Secretary] The admiral has your number,

we'll get back to you later.

- [Delaney] Did he ever mention the name

of retired Admiral Strichen, chairman of that council?

- No.

- In all the time you worked with him,

he never said a single word about who he was working for?

- It was my belief he was working for the cause of freedom,

which I'm sure you are, Senator.

- This whole thing is being laid on me, me alone.

If you think I am gonna slowly twist

in the wind without company--

- That's what these are for.

Affidavits registering you as a representative

of a foreign government.

Sign 'em, and we'll back date.

We'll use them to support the notion

that you were engaged in political reeducation

on Il Pavo, that you had no idea

that LaLonde was planning an invasion.

- Lenhart, the committee's not deaf.

They heard the man say with immunity that I was the one--

- He has no documentation.

But you can produce proof of payments

to him in the amount of $7 million.

Payments we intended for democratic voice

of the Caribbean broadcasts, publication

of pro-Western pamphlets, and filming documentaries.

But which he rerouted to the accounts

of fictitious corporations for his personal use.

He's a thief, Herb.

His character can easily be brought into question.

That's the tact the admiral strongly feels

that we have to take.

The admiral is well aware of the role

that you've played in the program,

and he appreciates the loyalty that you've shown him.

He believes when loyalty is received, it must be returned.

There are smooth waters ahead, Herb.

(dramatic orchestral music)

- So, when are the marshals pickin' you up?

- 9:45, 10 o'clock I'll be in front of the committee.

By the end of the day, it'll all be over.

- Listen, Frank's talkin' with the brass

about gettin' you immunity.

- Immunity?

Couldn't mean less to me.

You're talkin' to a man who's future is a thing of the past.

Remember my friend, Bobby Carl?

He was gonna train my mercenaries for that invasion.

- Yeah.

- He and I spent three tours in Nam.

He came back, moved to Utah, survivalist.

He could sense danger like an animal.

Check it out.

Gee, I guess he didn't see that two-ton truck bearing

down on him at 80 miles an hour.

They're not gonna get me, Vince.

- Runnin' all the time's a rotten way to live.

- No, you miss the point.

See, when the end comes, I want it to be on my terms.

- Roger, why don't you take the immunity

or at least the witness program?

- Ah, forget about it, your deal.

Remember that day at that motel in Stockton?

We were sittin' around trying to buy artillery

from that clown by the pool.

Man, I fell for your act like a kid in short pants.

And when Ketcher would order me to whack you,

I'd always find some reason not to do it.

All of a sudden, it's startin' to make sense to me.

You and I were flip side of the same coin, brother.

So, you got a subpoena, too?

- Yeah.

- What are you gonna do about it?

- The OCB wants me to testify as a hood.

Which means my testimony's a joke.

- From their point of view, it makes perfect sense.

They don't wanna lose a player.

And their point of view is the only point

of view that they're lookin' at.

Vinnie, you're a jerk.

You played by their rules and

what have you got to show for it?

Nothin'.

And when you go down in a hail of gunfire,

they're gonna pretend you never even existed.

Your mother'll get a nice letter

of condolence and 300 bucks a month.

At least, I got to keep some of my ill-gotten gains.

- Been squirrelin' it away?

- You better believe it.

For a long and cold winter.

That's if I make it through the fall.

If I don't, maybe I'll put a log in the fire

for you and Mama Terranova.

- Hey, I don't want your money, Roger.

Hey, man, you saved my life a couple of times.

I wanna even up the score.

- Well, the only way you can do that

is throw your badge down in front of that committee,

corroborate my testimony as a federal agent.

And that's something your boys will never let you do.

- [Walter] Hello.

- Walter, Herb Ketcher.

- [Walter] I've got company, I'll have to call you back.

- [Nat] Yes.

- How's it goin', Nat?

- [Nat] I'm fine, who's this?

- Herb Ketcher.

- [Gordy] Hello.

- Don't hang up on me, Gordy.

- [Gordy] Herb? - Yeah.

- [Gordy] Get real, Herb, I can't talk to you.

- Yeah, nobody can talk to me.

I mean, what happened to the men who?

(somber orchestral music)

- [Woman On Phone] Discrete Escort.

- Yeah,

I need company.

- Mr. Ketcher?

- Herb.

- I'm Monique, Herb.

Do you always keep it this dark in here?

- Right now, I do.

- I understand.

I've been following the hearings.

- Great, an educated tart.

Sorry, nothing personal.

- Of course not.

You probably feel all alone, unprotected.

You're takin' all the flack.

No wonder you need company.

- My stomach feels like a gravel pit.

- There are people who care about you, though.

I'm here.

(gentle orchestral music)

Do you feel any better?

Come on, Herb, I know you're a man.

Other people know you're a man, too.

(sighs)

- Damn it.

- If you're rushing to leave,

I can never get dressed that quickly.

- Yeah, well, let yourself out.

Can we do this again?

- Any time.

I'll leave my private number on your nightstand.

- You're beautiful.

- And as me grandmother used to say,

may you be a long time in heaven

before the devil knows you're gone.

(laughing)

The test of your mettle at moments like these.

To see if a man's prepared to cross the Rubicon.

Excuse me, I have to go potty.

(laughing)

Didn't Lenhart talk to you?

- LoCocco's testifying tomorrow.

He's gonna crucify me.

- The only thing we have to fear, Herb.

LoCocco's testimony isn't worth spit.

He's a lunatic renegade off on some illusionary mission,

and that's how we'll paint him.

Your testimony will mute LaLonde's.

You were doing your duty, keeping the lines open

with a potential sympathetic foreign leader.

- Terranova's with the OCB.

- You are looking at diminished capacity in its raw state.

Now, get a grip on yourself.

Our mission is scrubbed.

And the OCB can't afford to

let Terranova testify as an agent.

He's too valuable to be given up for a failed mission.

He'll testify, but as one of LoCocco's thugs.

Now, how much weight do you think that carries?

- My skin is being torn off.

- Look for the logic, how else can they play it?

You'll be left with a few battle scars, that's all.

You're doing the noble thing.

And I'll see to it that you get everything

that you justifiably deserve.

That's a promise.

But you and I haven't had contact,

not now, not for the last two years,

except for the infrequent casual telephone chat.

Stay here another five minutes.

We should avoid being seen together.

Hey, Herb, quit worrying about LoCocco.

(gavel banging)

- [Pickering] Will this committee come to order, please?

- You're a certified war hero, aren't you, Mr. LoCocco?

- I served my country, sir.

- And after serving your country,

you were recruited by the CIA.

- I became a field operative

after the fall of Saigon, yes, sir.

- [Delaney] And you were recruited by?

- [Roger] Herb Ketcher.

- [Delaney] And what did Mr. Ketcher order you

to do while under his supervision?

- I was involved in various covert activities

from 1974 to 1986.

People I work with might be in jeopardy

by any further comment on those activities.

- But you were basically murdering people.

- [Delaney] Mr. Chairman, is Senator Getzloff

been given carte blanche to interrupt me?

- I apologize.

It's just hard for me to sit here in silence knowing

that you're making this murderer out to be a hero.

- This is intolerable.

(gavel banging)

- We will try and remember this is the United States Senate

and not the D.C. dog pound.

(laughing)

- I admire your concern for your colleagues, Mr. LoCocco.

This operation was done in the name of national security?

- Yes, sir.

- According to whom?

- Herb Ketcher.

- You were under direct orders from Herbert Ketcher?

- Yes, sir.

- And did Mr. Ketcher's orders include murdering people?

- I believed I was acting in the best interest

of our nation.

- [Janet] So did Adolf Eichmann.

- [Delaney] Mr. Chairman.

- [Janet] This man is a confessed murderer, a terrorist.

And now, he's looking to lay off his actions

on a patriotic American.

(gavel banging)

- [Pickering] Madam Senator.

- The parameters of this committee are specifically Il Pavo

and Mr. LoCocco's involvement with Mel Profitt.

(gavel banging)

- We're going to recess for the weekend.

- Mr. Chairman, Mr. LoCocco must finish testifying today.

He is at significant risk.

- Mr. LoCocco is well protected.

These hearings are recessed for the weekend.

- They want me to testify as a button man.

- Askin' an awful lot, aren't they?

- You're damn right they are.

- Thanks for the help, Uncle.

- They want the world to see you as a hired killer.

- I mean, they're nailin' Roger to a cross.

They're gonna put one up for me

and Ketcher's gonna get off as some innocent

who got conned by two hit men.

- Come clean, you gonna tell the world

you were undercover for the OCB.

- What other choice do I got?

- What about going behind a screen?

- Come on, Frank, what kind of truth

is delivered in a brown paper bag?

Who's gonna believe it?

No, the only way Roger's testimony has any legitimacy

is if I come out and say what I know in the light of day.

I'm not gonna send out notes from under a rock.

- Out in the open as an OCB agent, that'll say something.

- That's right.

- [Mike] You won't be able to go back under.

- Well, I don't know that I want to.

- It'll make it hard on other guys under.

Organizations they've infiltrated will

be takin' a real hard look at all their employees.

Ah, but that'll pass.

Some old acquaintances might recognize you

as the enemy, might come gunnin' for you.

But you live with that anyway.

Maybe the entire program comes under scrutiny.

Maybe it folds, but you will have an honest moment

and maybe it's worth it.

Even it it is self-indulgent.

(somber orchestral music)

- Thanks for coming down, Uncle, I needed the support.

You carry more weight with him than anybody.

- Yeah well, we got him thinking anyway.

(knocking)

- [Frank] Vince.

- [Vinnie] How's it look, Frank?

This what you want?

- Come on, Vince.

- This is it, right?

This is how I go before the nation as Agent X?

(somber orchestral music)

How the hell did I end up here?

- Ah, most honorable Vince.

Chinese downstairs.

- No thanks.

(laughing)

- What's this, goin' to a masquerade?

- It's the proper attire for the inquisition, isn't it?

- No offense, you do this thing, you do it for yourself.

You don't do it for me.

- All I ever wanted was to be a cop.

I had this naive notion about keepin' it simple.

You hurt somebody, you're outta here.

Take something that isn't yours, psst, you're gone.

I joined the bureau 'cause I figured

that's the ultimate cop.

- Yeah.

Then you realize that it's okay to break the law

just so long as you don't transgress policy.

(gun fires)

- Take the driveway, check the front.

- [Frank] Just stay down.

- No kidding.

- You're supposed to stay away

from the windows in the front.

- He's gone, Frank.

- How do you know?

- Because I would be.

I'm outta here.

- [Frank] The hell you are.

- I'm not taking my last breath as a sitting duck.

- You're gonna stay and you're gonna testify again.

- Mr. McPike.

The area's clean, no sign of anyone.

- There's a car in the garage, I want the keys.

- You're gonna stay and you're gonna testify.

- I have to be alive to do that.

- Give him the keys, Frank.

- Are you kiddin' me?

I can't do that.

- That's exactly what they think.

That's why it's the only way I'm likely

to get out of here with my skin.

- Go on, give him the keys.

- Thanks.

- Well, we'll never see him again.

- He'll be there.

- If he isn't?

- Then we'll light a candle and pray for his soul.

- Vinnie.

Put the gun down, I'm alone.

You followed?

- Yeah, for a while.

I don't know if it was the company or the bureau,

but whoever it was is halfway to Baltimore by now.

I've been turnin' this city upside-down

since you split last night.

- Nice to be wanted.

Tell McPike not to worry.

I'll be in the witness chair on Monday morning.

- Where'd you get that?

- Well, Mel was a little bit of a squirrel himself.

But this is nothin'.

These signature cards provide the bearer

with access to three of Mel's Swiss accounts.

You know how much?

- I got a rough idea.

- Let me smooth it out for ya, over a hundred million.

If things go down the way I think they will,

it's all yours.

Do with it what you want.

- We're goin' back to the safe house, Roger.

- The hell we are.

Take your hands off of me.

- I'm trying to help you.

- Take your hands off of me.

- Listen, you son of a bitch,

there might be a way out of this

if you give me a chance to find it.

Why do you gotta play a martyr.

- I've gotta go about this my own way.

I thought you of all people would understand.

(dramatic orchestral music)

I'll be in touch, Buckwheat.

(crying)

- Shh.

Shh.

It's all right.

It's strain you're under, Herb.

Just knowing that you want me is enough.

It's okay.

- Damn, LoCocca.

50 million people heard him say I was

some kind of psychotic zealot.

- But when you take the stand, you can tell them the truth.

You can tell 'em all who gave you your orders.

- No, no, no.

I have a responsibility to protect my superiors

as they have to protect me.

That's a sacred responsibility, Monique.

- Yes.

You're a man of honor, Herb.

- Yeah, thank you.

(sighs)

- I have another client.

He's been watching the hearings, too.

He wanted me to let you know if there's anything he can do

for you, I mean, anything at all, it would be his privilege.

Legal fees, whatever.

- What does he do?

- I think he's in publishing.

- I'll keep it in mind.

- Yeah.

(gavel banging)

- [Pickering] Quiet, please.

Counselor, is your client, Mr. LoCocco, present?

- [Counselor] Mr. Chairman, I'm afraid he is not.

- [Pickering] You realize your client's buttin'

right up against a charge of contempt.

- I have not communicated with Mr. LoCocco

since Friday night, when the attempt was made on his life.

(gavel banging)

- Counselor, you have 10 minutes to produce your client

or this committee will issue a warrant.

- My apologies for being late, Mr. Chairman.

- I'm reminding the witness he's still under oath.

We only have a few questions left.

- [Counselor] Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

- Senator Getzloff.

- During the time you worked for Mel Profitt,

how many people did you kill?

- I really don't know, Senator.

- Well, I realize it's tough keeping track.

- Excuse me, Senator, with all due respect,

I'm not going to make excuses for what I've done.

The people I associated with were drug traffickers,

sellers of human beings.

It was absolutely vital that I set my cover

with Mel Profitt, convince him that I was a loyal

and reliable employee so that I could eventually direct him

towards the plan to take over Il Pavo.

- And that was a course of action you decided

to take entirely on your own?

- No, Senator, let me make this absolutely clear.

That was a plan outlined to me by Herb Ketcher.

- [Janet] No further questions at this time.

- Mr. LoCocco, why did you blow the whistle

on the Il Pavo operation?

- I was lied to, Senator.

It came to my attention that the beneficiary

of the takeover of Il Pavo was not going

to be the people of Il Pavo,

nor the people of the United States,

but rather Henri LaLonde and his friends

at Unified Bottling Corporation.

- Now, you've come before this committee

without a grant of immunity,

and obviously at great personal peril.

I'd like to know why?

- I've left a lot of friends lying

under crosses all over this globe.

They died for something more than increased profits

for corporate Americana.

For them, freedom wasn't some abstract idea,

it was as tangible and as personal

as the right to make up your own mind

about how you want to live.

That's why I'm here, Senator,

I'm here because they can't be.

- [Delaney] Thank you, Mr. LoCocco.

- Mr. LoCocco, you're excused pending further investigation

of these allegations against you.

- Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

- [Pickering] This committee now calls Herbert W. Ketcher.

- I don't think you realize what you've done.

- Oh, yes I do, Herb, yes I do.

- Raise your right hand, please.

Herbert W. Ketcher, do you swear the testimony you're about

to give this committee is the truth,

and that you testify without reservation

or purpose of evasion?

- I do, Mr. Chairman.

- No, ma'am, thank you.

Thank you.

They just okayed LoCocco for the witness program.

- Frank, that's great.

- He won't go for it, will he?

- No, thanks for takin' a shot.

- Do you expect to hear from him?

- He said he'd be in touch if he's able to.

I'm sure he will.

- This witness has every right to--

- This witness is perfectly--

- Mr. Ketcher, please continue, if you will.

- I know nothing about mercenaries, Senator Delaney.

- [Delaney] Mr. LoCocco said you ordered him

to procure and train them.

- In 1974, I judged Roger LoCocco to be one

of the finest young men I'd ever met.

But as our association continued, it became clear to me

that he suffered from certain delusionary conditions,

sense of paranoia and inability to deal with stress

in a logical, non-confrontational manner,

and an almost blind ambition that renders him unable

to see the subtleties that many of our operations require.

- And to what do you attribute that, Mr. Ketcher?

- Agent Orange.

(laughing)

- Is Mr. Ketcher an expert on the effects of Agent Orange?

What kind of evidence can you produce

that indicates Mr. LoCocco was ever exposed

to that defoliant, let alone ingested quantities--

- Mr. Chairman, I ask your--

- I'll move off that for a moment.

What did Admiral Strichen have to do with Operation Il Pavo?

- His involvement was spiritual.

- Well, you're really gonna have to explain that.

- Gladly, Senator, it was his spirit that fueled

the idea of political realignment

of Il Pavo through democratic means.

In that spirit, I was able to obtain funding

as part of covert operations.

At no time was the admiral, did he authorize,

nor was he aware of the subversion

of funds by LoCocco and LaLonde.

Admiral Strichen is one of the preeminent patriotic thinkers

this country has ever produced.

He believes, as do the American people

that the strength of democracy lies in its ability

to win people to its cause without the use of force.

This nation owes him a great debt,

a debt that in my humble opinion it can never repay.

- This just came for you, Vinnie.

- Oh, thanks.

(suspenseful orchestral music)

(moves into dramatic orchestral music)

- This is Sullivan, pick up the gold Oldsmobile

headed west on King Street, could be Terranova.

(suspenseful orchestral music)

(squealing)

(dramatic orchestral music)

- [Vinnie] Roger!

(exploding)

(dramatic orchestral music)

(moves into somber orchestral music)

- [Man] Ready, sir?

(gavel banging)

- To protect the officer's identity,

we will refer to him as John.

John, you have been sworn before this committee?

- Yes, sir, I have.

- Tell us what brings you here today.

- I'm an undercover operative

for the Organized Crime Bureau.

In that capacity, I infiltrated Mel Profitt's business.

And through that infiltration,

I became aware of overthrow--

- [Secretary] Admiral Strichen's office.

- Yeah, I need to speak Admiral Strichen.

- [Secretary] I'm sorry, he's not in right now.

- Don't tell me he's not there.

(clicks)

- Who was in charge of these mercenaries?

- Herbert Ketcher.

- And did you actually see Mr. Ketcher with the mercenaries?

- Yes, I did.

He arrived with Henri LaLonde, and had a briefcase

that contained several hundred thousand dollars,

recon photos, and launch strategy timetables

for the invasion of Il Pavo.

- Is this the briefcase?

- [Vinnie] Yes, sir, it is.

- Is this all the evidence you have against Mr. Ketcher?

- Through travel and phone records,

we have established that Herbert Ketcher's movements

duplicate those of Roger LoCocco's.

And through phone records, we established

that Herb Ketcher has made contact with Admiral Strichen.

- Do you have transcripts of conversations

between Strichen and Ketcher?

- No, ma'am, I do not.

- Do you have any physical evidence that Strichen

and Ketcher actually talked to one another?

- Only records that show that Ketcher's telephone

was frequently online with Admiral Strichen's.

- Did LoCocco or Ketcher ever mention Admiral Strichen?

- No, ma'am.

- Have you ever seen Admiral Strichen?

- No, ma'am.

- Do you think Roger LoCocco was a sane man?

- I'm not sure I know how to answer that question.

- Well, that seems pretty simple, yes or no?

- None of this is simple.

- Well, you were with him for a long period of time,

do you have any personal judgment?

- Yes, I do.

- What is it?

- I believe that Roger LoCocco's patriotism was subverted

by machiavellian forces within the government.

- Are you saying that this former, tough,

independent war hero suddenly became a puppet?

- People can be blinded by their beliefs.

- A man blinded by his beliefs

is allowing delusions to determine his actions.

- Mr. LoCocco was not deluded.

- [Janet] Thank you.

- Wait a minute.

- That's all.

- Do you have a closing statement, John?

- Yes, sir, I do.

Sometimes in the pursuit of principles,

we lose sight of those principles

and get caught up in the adrenalin

that comes with the pursuit.

- Has that happened to you?

- It's a disease that is caused by ambition,

and yes, Senator, I have been too ambitious.

What about you?

Roger was blinded by his pursuit.

But his vision returned, he understood his guilt

and he tried to redeem himself for it

in testifying to this committee.

Now, he died for that testimony.

And whatever footnote he may hold in history,

at least for me, Roger LoCocco died a hero.

- [Pickering] Thank you, John.

- [Monique] Hello.

- Monique, can you come over?

- [Monique] I'll be right there.

- Ah, great, thanks.

(gavel banging)

- Can we have quiet, please?

Admiral Strichen, please stand.

Raise your right hand.

Admiral Strichen, do you swear that the testimony

you're about to give this committee is the truth,

and that you testify without reservation

or purpose of evasion?

- [Walter] I do, sir.

- You said some good things, Vince.

- Ah, it doesn't matter.

He'll skate.

I won't be comin' back, Frank.

You're okay.

- What are you doin'?

- I'm resigning.

- Don't do that.

- Frank, it's done.

I never wanna see another lie as long as I live.

- I will turn this into a six-month leave.

- Fine, it is what it is.

You take care of yourself.

(somber orchestral music)

- I suppose in retrospect, I should have smelled

that something was amiss.

But Mr. Ketcher's duties as I expected them

to be exercised was simply the maintenance

of a relationship with Henri LaLonde,

an exiled leader of Il Pavo.

I had no idea that that relationship would terminate

in an airplane hanger on the eve

of an illegal invasion of a sovereign nation.

- [Delaney] You actually expect this committee

to believe that Herbert Ketcher was acting

without your authority or knowledge?

- [Walter] I'm embarrassed to admit it.

And insofar as Mr. Ketcher clung

to my political philosophy and perverted it,

I accept the responsibility for his actions.

- Oh God, he's destroying me.

- How would you explain his actions?

- That would be better left to a psychiatrist.

- Do you wanna meet my friend?

- You mean this entire scheme was a single act

of a lunatic?

- I believe Herb lost sight of principle

in favor of ambition.

I believe he fantasized that a successful invasion

of Pavo would herald his return to Washington.

I believe Herb actually felt that we would forgive his means

if he reached a successful end.

- Yes.

- [Walter] What Herb failed to understand is

that there is no excuse for subverting democracy

in order to arrive at it.

- [Monique's Friend] Monique's wonderful, isn't she?

- Oh yeah, she tells me you're in some kind of publishing.

- I'm in all forms of the media business, Mr. Ketcher.

What you've been through, what you know

has value we're willing to make an offer on.

- What kind of offer?

- Political asylum.

- Asylum?

- You're a man without a country, Herb.

The end result of plausible deniability.

There's a very real possibility

the justice department's gonna come through

that door any second now and confine you

behind bars for the rest of your life.

Now, if you're willing to leave immediately,

I'll provide you with a new life in the Soviet Union.

(dramatic orchestral music)

- You're nuts.

What kind of life could I have in your country?

- What kind of life do you have here?

Look, we're not exactly doing backflips

for your citizenship, Herb.

We're reluctantly willing to accept you into our home

in exchange for your knowledge of US government affairs,

and whatever little media value we can exploit

out of your defection.

Take it or leave it.

Monique's job is here in Washington.

- I'm gonna turn you over.

I'm gonna turn you over to the state department.

- We intercepted a phone call you made

to an escort service and we sent you one of our own.

Now, you take us to the state department,

all they'll have a record of

is your soliciting a prostitute, yes or no?

Right now.

(dramatic orchestral music)

- Excuse me.

(dramatic orchestral music)

(gun fires)

(dramatic orchestral music)

- I've been livin' in the shadows

for two years now, Uncle Mike.

- [Mike] Vince, I really don't wanna lose you.

- You're not going to.

I'll keep in touch, one way or the other.

- Take care of yourself, son.

You deserve it.

- Thanks, Uncle Mike for everything.

(dramatic orchestral music)

(moves into upbeat orchestral music)