The Washington Times reported that Congressman Duncan Hunter, member of the House Armed Services Committee has sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel asking him to clarify how JSOC paid a supposed Haqqani terrorist network intermediary to get Bergdahl released yet Hagel denied any knowledge of the attempt.  The payment undermines a key tenet of the stated US policy.  Renowned author Brad Thor speculated in the Blaze, that the release of high profile detainees from Gitmo may be a “fig leaf” to hide the cash exchange.

The Pentagon is characterizing the payoff which eventually proved to be to a con man that got away with the money, as not a ransom but “payment for intelligence”.