John Mattes
Encyclopedia
John Mattes is an investigative journalist who has won seven Emmys, one Golden Mike award, one Edward R Murrow award and 10 press club awards for exposing fraud and corruption in government. Mattes holds an advanced degree in Communication Research from the University of Wisconsin and a law degree from University of Miami. Before working for Fox, he served as a County Supervisor and city council member in Madison, Wisconsin and practiced law in Miami, Florida focusing on Public Policy Investigation.
Mattes helped uncover illegal Contra Gun running in Central America and the role of Oliver North. Mattes was one of the first person to bring Oliver North and the Iran Contra affair to the attention of Senator John Kerry. While at the public defender's office, Mattes found himself in the thick of the cloak-and-dagger incidents of the Contras and their allies in Miami.
Mattes defended self-described mercenary whistleblower and freelance intelligence operative Jack Terrell from charges he had violated the U.S. Neutrality Act because of his Contra-supply work.
Ultimately the case was dismissed by a federal judge in 1990 on grounds that Terrell was a victim of selective prosecution. In the course of legal discovery in the Terrell case, Mattes obtained stacks of previously classified documents about the secret Contra supply network. These he turned over to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and its Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Communications, headed by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), which was then digging into Contra improprieties. The Kerry report remains the most extensive inquiry into the Contra-CIA-drug connection.
In 1992 Mattes served as Investigative Counsel to the US Senate POW Committee. After serving on the council, Mattes represented the Lost Army Commandos, a group of CIA assets left in POW camps for decades. Between 1959 and 1964, 450 South Vietnamese commandos -- recruited, trained and paid by the U.S. government for a secret mission known as Operation 34-Alpha -- were captured in North Vietnam and Laos. Some were executed. Others were imprisoned and tortured. The last commando held captive was released in 1988.
As Investigative Counsel to US Senate on POW, Mattes also conducted hearing exposing fraud and phony POW charity fundraisers.
Mattes learned of the commandos while working on the staff of a special Senate committee on prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action. Mattes began searching for them in 1993 and two years later filed suit against the government for their back pay.
The Defense Department initially refused to acknowledge the commando mission, but Mattes discovered 500,000 pages of classified documents at the National Archives. The documents included pay rosters indicating that the Army listed the commandos as killed in action when they actually were in prison.
The Army gave widows and survivors a minimal death payment of a few hundred dollars to close the cases. By declaring the prisoners dead, the Army no longer had to pay the families $2,000 a year while the commandos were in prison. It also kept the mission secret. The commandos acted as spies and saboteurs who infiltrated Communist territory.
After a 3 year court battle Mattes won a 20 million dollar settlement for the Lost Army Commandos.[2] In addition, Mattes also assisted in winning asylum for POW families and successfully sued the CIA and Department of Defense on their behalf. 23 million dollar settlement provided for over 350 POWS.
John served as an investigative consultant for ABC World News I-Team based in Miami. After working on ABC’s Whitewater investigation, John stepped in front of the camera as an investigative reporter for the newly launched TV station WAMI in Miami. His investigations included uncovering a multi-million dollar kickback scheme at Miami International Airport, legal loan sharking in the auto title loan business, and financial ties between a local mayor and organized crime. From there, John traveled across the country to become an investigative reporter for the nationally syndicated Uncovered TV in Los Angeles.
Since 2002 Mattes has worked as an Investigative reporter. Mattes exposed a massive mortgage fraud scheme which led to on camera attempt on his life by the king pin behind the $30 million dollar scheme (known as the Suleiman attack).
Mattes has founded of InvestigativeGuy.com an online site dedicated to defending consumer and exposing scams and resides in San Diego, California. Since site has been created, a number of the scammers exposed by the site have been shut down by law enforcement.
Currently Mattes is investigating a worldwide scam at pay phones in airports that has victimized tens of thousands of consumers.
on his show The O'Reilly Factor
. While Mattes recovered, the couple that attacked him, Sam Suleiman and Rosa Barraza, faced multiple charges.
One week after the attack, Mattes returned to XETV to do an investigative report on mortgage fraud.
Suleiman went on cable television and claimed he was the victim. On September 12, the couple pled not guilty in a San Diego courtroom. Suleiman faced ten years and eight months for battery causing great bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, making a criminal threat and intimidating a witness. Suleiman got a plea bargain and served less than one year in jail. His wife got probation. They have never been charged in the massive mortgage fraud scheme Mattes uncovered. All the properties Mattes revealed as linked to Sulieman have been foreclosed and not a dime ever recovered from the losses. Today Sulieman works as a "mortgage modification expert".
Since the attack, Mattes has investigated and reported on numerous consumer schemes all over the country. His investigations have uncovered health Insurance scams, banking swindles, and mortgage modification shemes that have left homeowners defrauded and foreclosed. His reporting has garnered numerous Emmys and other awards for his stories. He currently is reporting for Investigative guy.com. Additionally, Mattes recently became an investigative reporter for Utility Citizen Action Network, a Southern California Consumer group.
Mattes helped uncover illegal Contra Gun running in Central America and the role of Oliver North. Mattes was one of the first person to bring Oliver North and the Iran Contra affair to the attention of Senator John Kerry. While at the public defender's office, Mattes found himself in the thick of the cloak-and-dagger incidents of the Contras and their allies in Miami.
Mattes defended self-described mercenary whistleblower and freelance intelligence operative Jack Terrell from charges he had violated the U.S. Neutrality Act because of his Contra-supply work.
Ultimately the case was dismissed by a federal judge in 1990 on grounds that Terrell was a victim of selective prosecution. In the course of legal discovery in the Terrell case, Mattes obtained stacks of previously classified documents about the secret Contra supply network. These he turned over to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and its Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Communications, headed by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), which was then digging into Contra improprieties. The Kerry report remains the most extensive inquiry into the Contra-CIA-drug connection.
In 1992 Mattes served as Investigative Counsel to the US Senate POW Committee. After serving on the council, Mattes represented the Lost Army Commandos, a group of CIA assets left in POW camps for decades. Between 1959 and 1964, 450 South Vietnamese commandos -- recruited, trained and paid by the U.S. government for a secret mission known as Operation 34-Alpha -- were captured in North Vietnam and Laos. Some were executed. Others were imprisoned and tortured. The last commando held captive was released in 1988.
As Investigative Counsel to US Senate on POW, Mattes also conducted hearing exposing fraud and phony POW charity fundraisers.
Mattes learned of the commandos while working on the staff of a special Senate committee on prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action. Mattes began searching for them in 1993 and two years later filed suit against the government for their back pay.
The Defense Department initially refused to acknowledge the commando mission, but Mattes discovered 500,000 pages of classified documents at the National Archives. The documents included pay rosters indicating that the Army listed the commandos as killed in action when they actually were in prison.
The Army gave widows and survivors a minimal death payment of a few hundred dollars to close the cases. By declaring the prisoners dead, the Army no longer had to pay the families $2,000 a year while the commandos were in prison. It also kept the mission secret. The commandos acted as spies and saboteurs who infiltrated Communist territory.
After a 3 year court battle Mattes won a 20 million dollar settlement for the Lost Army Commandos.[2] In addition, Mattes also assisted in winning asylum for POW families and successfully sued the CIA and Department of Defense on their behalf. 23 million dollar settlement provided for over 350 POWS.
John served as an investigative consultant for ABC World News I-Team based in Miami. After working on ABC’s Whitewater investigation, John stepped in front of the camera as an investigative reporter for the newly launched TV station WAMI in Miami. His investigations included uncovering a multi-million dollar kickback scheme at Miami International Airport, legal loan sharking in the auto title loan business, and financial ties between a local mayor and organized crime. From there, John traveled across the country to become an investigative reporter for the nationally syndicated Uncovered TV in Los Angeles.
Since 2002 Mattes has worked as an Investigative reporter. Mattes exposed a massive mortgage fraud scheme which led to on camera attempt on his life by the king pin behind the $30 million dollar scheme (known as the Suleiman attack).
Mattes has founded of InvestigativeGuy.com an online site dedicated to defending consumer and exposing scams and resides in San Diego, California. Since site has been created, a number of the scammers exposed by the site have been shut down by law enforcement.
Currently Mattes is investigating a worldwide scam at pay phones in airports that has victimized tens of thousands of consumers.
Suleiman Attack
On September 6, 2006 Mattes received national attention when he was attacked by two people while investigating an alleged real estate scam. He was injured with cracked ribs, bite wounds and cuts to his face. The attacking scene was caught on tape by his cameraman Dennis Waldrop. He was later interviewed by Bill O'ReillyBill O'Reilly (commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
on his show The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
. While Mattes recovered, the couple that attacked him, Sam Suleiman and Rosa Barraza, faced multiple charges.
One week after the attack, Mattes returned to XETV to do an investigative report on mortgage fraud.
Suleiman went on cable television and claimed he was the victim. On September 12, the couple pled not guilty in a San Diego courtroom. Suleiman faced ten years and eight months for battery causing great bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, making a criminal threat and intimidating a witness. Suleiman got a plea bargain and served less than one year in jail. His wife got probation. They have never been charged in the massive mortgage fraud scheme Mattes uncovered. All the properties Mattes revealed as linked to Sulieman have been foreclosed and not a dime ever recovered from the losses. Today Sulieman works as a "mortgage modification expert".
Since the attack, Mattes has investigated and reported on numerous consumer schemes all over the country. His investigations have uncovered health Insurance scams, banking swindles, and mortgage modification shemes that have left homeowners defrauded and foreclosed. His reporting has garnered numerous Emmys and other awards for his stories. He currently is reporting for Investigative guy.com. Additionally, Mattes recently became an investigative reporter for Utility Citizen Action Network, a Southern California Consumer group.