In early August (2003), Prince Albert's spymaster, Robert Eringer, received a feisty phone call from the CIA station chief in Paris. He wanted to know what Eringer knew about a U.S. Senator meeting the Prince.
Eringer knew quite a lot. Indeed, he had instigated this visit, soon after creating a relationship with the agency.
This was Eringer's way of ensuring that Prince Albert's relationship with CIA would be understood by U.S. congressional oversight for what it was: liaison-plus and not CIA's recruitment of the Prince.
The U.S. Senator in question was Saxby Chambliss, a Republican from Georgia who sat upon the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
On the morning of August 8th in Monaco, Eringer briefed Senator Chambliss on MING over breakfast in Hotel Columbus. The Senator expressed deep concern.
Eringer took Senator Chambliss and his wife, Julianne, on a tour of the principality. Following lunch at Stars & Bars, they were provided a private tour of Palace, and an hour later Eringer introduced Saxby and Julianne to Prince Albert for a photo op in his office, followed by a twenty-five minute meeting with the Senator.
That evening, Eringer entertained Saxby and Julianne on the Prince's behalf at the Vista Palace Hotel for aperitifs, to admire the view of Monaco from its picture windows, followed by dinner at Café de Paris in Monte Carlo.
Soon after, in London, Eringer met with his contact at Her Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).
The SIS officer informed Eringer that the FBI had contacted them through the Bureau's London legat to request permission to speak with Eringer regarding MING. (This is normal protocol as Eringer was on British soil.)
"They're out of their minds," Eringer replied. "I handed it to them on a silver platter. Five months on, nothing. I may have to deal with MING myself. Don't worry," Eringer joked, "I won't kill him."
"Good," the SIS chap replied. "It would tend to raise your profile."
Apparently, the Bureau had finally taken a peep and discovered that MING had made a series of wire transfers to his bank in the United States, each one just under ten thousand dollars, the threshold at which banks must report wire transfers to government monitors--an obvious attempt at evading notice. MING had also been observed collecting large amounts of cash in Switzerland and delivering it to Monaco, in violation of French Customs statutes. "It is clear that MING is engaged in criminal wrong-doing," was the quote played back to Eringer.
Coming Next: Albertitis