A former cable news pundit whose stature derived from a phony claim of a CIA career has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison.
Wayne Simmons of Annapolis, Maryland, appeared frequently as an unpaid contributor on Fox News before his arrest last year. The 62-year-old pleaded guilty in April to defrauding the United States by lying about his credentials to obtain work with government contractors, among other charges.
Despite all evidence to the contrary, though, Simmons maintains he's telling the truth about a 27-year covert CIA career. The CIA has explicitly denied any connection to him.
At a sentencing hearing Friday in federal court in Alexandria, the judge called Simmons' claim of a CIA career "buffalo chips.''
The 33-month sentence was in line with prosecutors' request.
