Jerry Ceppos was the executive editor of the [[San Jose Mercury News]] who oversaw the publication of the [[Dark Alliance]] series in August 1996 and later published a controversial column describing "shortcomings" in the reporting.[^1] ### Initial Support for the Series When the Dark Alliance series was published on August 18, 1996, Ceppos called [[Gary Webb|Webb]] to congratulate him as television networks and newspapers worldwide requested interviews. "Remarkable series! Thanks for doing this for us," Ceppos wrote in a note accompanying a $500 bonus check. Ceppos fired off a blistering letter to the [[Washington Post]] when it attacked the series, pointing out factual errors and calling the Post's claims of a "racially charged allegation" a "complete and total mischaracterization." He posted the letter on the staff bulletin board with a memo defending the series: "We strongly support the conclusions the series drew and will until someone proves them wrong. . .Gary Webb deserves recognition for surviving unscathed" under microscopic examination by four experienced Post reporters.[^1] ### Retraction and Suppression of Follow-Ups On March 25, 1997, Ceppos called Webb at home to inform him he had made "a very difficult decision." He had decided to publish a column acknowledging mistakes in the series. According to Ceppos's proposed column, the series should have noted that [[Danilo Blandon|Danilo Blandón]] claimed he quit dealing with the Contras in 1983, had "insufficient proof" to say millions went to the Contras, and had "oversimplified" how crack became a problem. Webb objected, pointing out that the editors themselves had requested increased emphasis on CIA involvement and that cutting the series from four parts to three had damaged it.[^1] At a stormy meeting, Webb asked whether the follow-up stories would be published. Ceppos shook his head. "They're a quarter turn of the screw. We're not going to print anything else unless it's a major advance." The follow-ups included an eyewitness ([[Carlos Cabezas]]) who admitted delivering millions in drug money to the Contras and identified a CIA agent with direct knowledge, as well as evidence that the [[DEA]] helped accused CIA drug trafficker [[John Hull]] escape criminal charges in [[Costa Rica]]. Webb responded: "You're taking a dive on a true story, and one day you're going to find that out."[^1] ### Column and Aftermath Ceppos's column ran on May 11, 1997. The [[New York Times]], which had not found the original series newsworthy, splashed the apology on its front page. After the column ran, Ceppos killed the follow-up stories permanently and transferred Webb to the Cupertino bureau. He told Webb that his editors had "lost faith" in him and assigned reporter Pete Carey to take over the Contra drug story. Webb quit the newspaper in November 1997 after the Mercury settled his arbitration.[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Chapter 27: "A very difficult decision"