Official confirmation not always needed

Look at the following headline closely: "Secret Service mum on Perrilloux."

Well ... YEAH.

It's the Secret Service. That organization tends to be mum on a lot of things. Hence, the name of itself.

But The Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge, which has been getting beat regularly on the counterfeiting investigation in La Place that has included an interview of LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, is clinging to the fact that the Secret Service would "neither confirm nor deny" that Perrilloux's name has surfaced in "a possible counterfeit money investigation."

A Secret Service spokesperson, whom I guess has to keep secrets, told The Advocate to refer its penetrating questions to the U.S. Attorney's office in New Orleans. That office also neither could confirm nor deny the investigation. That office also rarely confirms nor denies any investigation until it's over or nearly over.

Stuffy sounding, large, official organizations, however, are not the only avenues for confirmation, however.

The person being investigated can confirm. Or that person's coach can confirm. Perrilloux's coach at East St. John - Larry Dauterive - said to several media outlets including Gannett, but I guess not to the Advocate, that suspicion first arose around Perrilloux in November when he presented a fake looking $20 bill at a store in La Place. Then he said Perrilloux was interviewed for two hours by federal officials last week. That's confirmation.

Oh and there's this. A public information officer at the St. John Parish Sheriff's office also told Gannett that a counterfeiting ring in the La Place area was being investigated by his office and the Secret Service, and this investigation included Perrilloux.

I spoke to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten last week and he told me he could not confirm or deny any investigation of Perrilloux. He also told me that his office is not the only entity that can confirm an investigation. He said attorneys for people he is investigation often confirm or others.

So, here's an official comment for The Advocate. You got beat!

As for Perrilloux, he could be innocent. By nature, counterfeiting spreads money around to unsuspecting parties. Maybe Perrilloux didn't know he had counterfeit money. Maybe you have a counterfeit bill now. How would you know? Perrilloux is also not the only one who has been interviewed in this investigation in the La Place area. There have been at least a dozen others. Perrilloux's name has been across headlines all over the state, because he is a well known name.

Perrilloux is innocent until proven guilty, and I don't have to get official confirmation on that from the U.S. Supreme Court.