Owen Roth

Kambiz Foroohar: [Adam walks in on Kambiz at a urinal] Adam, can you give a man a minute?

Adam Penenberg: Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. Uh, it's just that... this New Republic piece is a fucking sieve.

[walking with Kambiz]

Adam Penenberg: I started with a check on Jukt Micronics, which is supposed to be this "major software company" in California. I went through every search engine on the web, no matches found. So I called 411, in every area code in the state, there's no listing anywhere for a company called "Jukt Micronics." I tried the California Tax Franchise Board, there's no record of taxes ever having been paid by a company called "Jukt Micronics." Tried the State Comptroller's Office, no license has ever been applied for by a company using that name. Then I called all the hackers I know, asking if any had heard of a "National Assembly of Hackers" or of a hacker by the name of "Big, Bad, Bionic Boy": nothing. I even tried Ian Restil himself. There's no listing for the kid in D.C., Virginia, Maryland. There's no record of him ever having attended a public school before. More?

Kambiz Foroohar: Please.

Adam Penenberg: Uh, this guy Joe Hiert was described in the Glass piece as being this former basketball agent, yet no one by that name has ever been registered with the NBA and none of my hackers knew of him. I even checked the names of every government...

[looks at Andy]

Andy Fox: I was just getting some coffee.

Adam Penenberg: I even checked the names of every government employee quoted in the piece against a book listing the names of every government employee in the entire United States. None of the Glass sources were listed.

Stephen Glass: [in front of the magazine display case] Chuck, will you please take me to the airport?

Chuck Lane: Jesus.

Stephen Glass: Please, OK? You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to. It's fine. But I can't be by myself right now. OK? I'm, uh, I'm afraid of what I'm gonna do. You know? I... I can't get there by myself.

Chuck Lane: I'm not going anywhere with you. Now, if you feel like you're a danger to yourself, you can sit down for a few minutes until you feel calm enough to go, but I am not going anywhere with you.

Stephen Glass: But... I'm afraid that I'm gonna do something, OK? Did you hear what I said?

Chuck Lane: Yeah. It's a hell of a story.

Stephen Glass: Chuck, please.

Chuck Lane: Stop pitching, Steve. It's over.