A
day after the Academy Awards and the essential shut out of Zero Dark
Thirty (except for an award for Sound Editing), the Senate Intelligence
Committee announced that they were dropping the investigation between
the film and the CIA contacts.

The
timing is incredibly suspect and is another kick in the head to the
Zero Dark Thirty team. If I were them I would be fuming since
Feinstein’s put down of the film basically scuttled its chances in the
awards race. Who knows what the race would have been like had the film
not been completely tainted.

Here’s what Senator Dianne Feinstein said in her statement:

In
December, Senators Levin, McCain and I wrote to Acting CIA Director
Michael Morell seeking information provided to the filmmakers of ‘Zero
Dark Thirty’ by the CIA. The CIA responded with information about its
interaction with the filmmakers. I see no need to request further
information. In a separate letter, Senators Levin, McCain and I
requested the basis for CIA’s view that enhanced interrogation
techniques provided some intelligence that led to the killing of Osama
bin Laden. The CIA’s response to that letter is forthcoming.

Finally,
Senators Levin, McCain and I wrote to Sony Pictures in December and
outlined our view that scenes in the film which credit CIA’s
interrogation techniques with leading directly to the takedown of bin
Laden were inaccurate and misleading. The committee has not made any
contact with the filmmakers, did not request documents from any
individual associated with the film, and have not conducted any
investigation into the film whatsoever. We have simply asked questions
of the intelligence community pertinent to our oversight
responsibilities.

Senate Intelligence Committee drops ‘Zero Dark Thirty’
inquiry (Politico)

Senate drops Zero Dark Thirty inquiry (The Guardian)

Senate Drops ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Probe (The Hollywood
Reporter)