Sarah Ferguson offered access to Prince Andrew for £500k cash

[Newsjock]

Source: The Guardian

Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Prince Andrew, has left a trail of gaffes and misjudgments in her wake throughout a bumpy life in the public eye. But today she was exposed in potentially her most personally damaging way yet by a News of the World sting in which she promised to obtain access to the Queen's second son in return for £500,000.

The Duchess of York appears to have fallen for the Sunday newspaper's regular undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood, who specialises in undercover exposes and revels in his Fleet Street nickname of the Fake Sheikh.

In a taped interview, recorded in a Mayfair apartment last Tuesday and placed on the paper's website today, Ferguson is seen telling the man she supposed was a foreign businessman that she could obtain him access to the prince, who acts as a quasi-official British trade envoy, promoting deals and agreements for UK companies around the world.

Demanding a payment of £500,000 to be wired to her HSBC account, she told the reporter: "That opens up everything you would ever wish for and I can open any door you want and I will for you. Look after me and he'll look after you ... You'll get it back tenfold."

Ferguson was today, according to sources reported by the Press Association, "devastated and regretful" over the incident.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/23/sarah-ferguson-andrew-cash-tabloid

[marylanddem]

1. I wonder what Andy's cut is...Nice racket.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

8. Although it's been denied, I think he was in on it too.

[Codeine]

9. Unlikely.

He's smart, well-managed, knows how the game is played at that level, and doesn't even begin to need the money.

His ex-wife, OTOH, is far less adept and generally in need of funds.

[Darth_Kitten]

14. Actually, he's known for being not really swift.

n/t

[HipChick]

2. devastated and regretful that she got caught...

[KharmaTrain]

3. Oooops...Welcome To The Small Camera Age...

Those backrooms aren't as sealed as they used to be. In the era when every cellphone has a camera and recorder, I expect we'll see more public figures exposed this way. Yep, it's embarassing as hell for dear Fergie...but very revealing for the rest of us.

[MadHound]

4. Fergy simply got caught doing what the elite do in all parts of the world

Offering access in exchange for cash. This is a time honored practice that goes on in Britain, the US and across the globe.

The only difference here is that Fergy got caught.

[Zoeisright]

5. Delete

[lunatica]

7. You mean why should she be paid to provide access

She isn't paying anything. She's getting paid.

[UTUSN]

6. Astounding. The footage looked like a comedy bit that LETTERMAN did,

of an over-the-hill "Robin" (from Batman), with a cigarette dangling and baggy leotards.


That said, the whole "royalty" bit is a racket. They usually do better at covering it up.

[dkf]

10. I thought this would be past misdeeds.

Sad.

[customerserviceguy]

11. I remember when she and Diana

were whoring their way across Europe together, now she's selling something other than her ass.

[RB TexLa]

12. Is there supposed to be something wrong about her doing this?

[RB TexLa]

13. .