Mortal Government Knowledge of Magic

[Shift8]

This is meant to be both a question, and hopefully a speculative conversation etc. So feel free to pontificate

So basically I am curious of how much the mortal governments, such as the US gov, know about the existence of the supernatural. How much evidence do we have from the books and various WOJ? Im asking because its been awhile since ive read all the books in detail and I am sure I missed something anyhow.

Wasnt there some mention somewhere that the WC and the highest levels of mortal gov, like POTUS, have some kind of understanding?

[forumghost]

WoJ is that the Library of Congress is a secret cabal dedicated to keeping the Supernatural Hidden (these are the guys who vanished the Werewolf tape from Fool Moon)

They're apparently Super Badasses that think anything Supernatural is capital E Evil (iirc they're partly behind Murphy's Career tanking just for being friends with a Wizard)

[Shift8]

Are they the only savvy govt group we know of?

[LordDresden2]

This is meant to be both a question, and hopefully a speculative conversation etc. So feel free to pontificate

So basically I am curious of how much the mortal governments, such as the US gov, know about the existence of the supernatural. How much evidence do we have from the books and various WOJ? Im asking because its been awhile since ive read all the books in detail and I am sure I missed something anyhow.

Wasnt there some mention somewhere that the WC and the highest levels of mortal gov, like POTUS, have some kind of understanding?

There's no doubt in my mind that there are a lot of groups within the mortal governments that have various knowledge and 'arrangements' with this or that supernatural faction.  We've already seen, for ex, that Lara can manipulate the U.S. Navy to the point of using its resources for her own purposes, and Jim has said that the White Council played a role in ending the Cold War.

[Shift8]

I wonder if the mortal government will get involved in the BAT.

[Rasins]

I wonder if the mortal government will get involved in the BAT.

I'd be surprised if they don't.

I'm thinking that Harry's lack of arrest after Ghost Story is evidence of involvement of Government officials being in the know. 

He was a suspect in the terrorist bombing of a building in the middle of one of the largest cities in the US.  He was implicated in the burning down of his own residence, presumable to hide evidence of his involvement in the bombing.

And this wasn't the first time he's been looked at by the FBI.

[Aminar]

I'd be surprised if they don't.

I'm thinking that Harry's lack of arrest after Ghost Story is evidence of involvement of Government officials being in the know. 

He was a suspect in the terrorist bombing of a building in the middle of one of the largest cities in the US.  He was implicated in the burning down of his own residence, presumable to hide evidence of his involvement in the bombing.

And this wasn't the first time he's been looked at by the FBI.

Sure. Sort of. I would guess its more evidence cleared him in the 2 ish years he was gone(counting Demonreach,, Physical Therapy, and being dead. It's not like he came back straight away. Everything from Chamges to Skin Game he basically didn't exist.

[Rasins]

Sure. Sort of. I would guess its more evidence cleared him in the 2 ish years he was gone(counting Demonreach,, Physical Therapy, and being dead. It's not like he came back straight away. Everything from Chamges to Skin Game he basically didn't exist.

Don't you think that the "paperwork" that the Gatekeeper started would have triggered some alerts if anyone tried to bring Harry Dresden back?

And 2 years is not beyond any Statute of Limitations on something like a Terrorist Attack.

Granted, in those 2 years, they'd have found out the connections to the red court's corporate connections. But since all of the officers of those corporations died, I'd bet Harry would still be on the "want to question" list.

[Quantus]

Don't you think that the "paperwork" that the Gatekeeper started would have triggered some alerts if anyone tried to bring Harry Dresden back?

And 2 years is not beyond any Statute of Limitations on something like a Terrorist Attack.

Granted, in those 2 years, they'd have found out the connections to the red court's corporate connections. But since all of the officers of those corporations died, I'd bet Harry would still be on the "want to question" list.

That's only if the Council's method would be to actually (legally) bring him back from the dead, as opposed to simply setting him up with a new paper Identity as all wizards would need to do from time to time.  It would get him past any lingering legal questions as well as hiding him from the infamous Larry Fowler. 

On the other hand, getting basically /any/ law enforcement agency to say the word "Witness Protection" in his general direction would make a lot of official curiosity go away.  It would explain away his proximity to "terrorist activities" as well as his Death&Rebirth, all the while giving him the implication that he was supporting The Good Guys so Be Nice and dont ask him Question about our ongoing investigation.  All it would take is the Council having one good contact with InterPol or some such. 

[Rasins]

That's only if the Council's method would be to actually (legally) bring him back from the dead, as opposed to simply setting him up with a new paper Identity as all wizards would need to do from time to time.  It would get him past any lingering legal questions as well as hiding him from the infamous Larry Fowler. 

On the other hand, getting basically /any/ law enforcement agency to say the word "Witness Protection" in his general direction would make a lot of official curiosity go away.  It would explain away his proximity to "terrorist activities" as well as his Death&Rebirth, all the while giving him the implication that he was supporting The Good Guys so Be Nice and dont ask him Question about our ongoing investigation.  All it would take is the Council having one good contact with InterPol or some such.

As to the first paragraph, I don't see that happening.  Rashid indicated the "raising from the dead" not a new identity.  Though I can see a new identity down the road.  Granted it's an assumption, but I didn't get the impression that Harry wasn't going to be Harry going forward.

As to the second, I can TOTALLY see that.  Only instead of Intpol, the Librarians.  Favors exchanged between the council and the LoC could work this way.

[Aminar]

Don't you think that the "paperwork" that the Gatekeeper started would have triggered some alerts if anyone tried to bring Harry Dresden back?

And 2 years is not beyond any Statute of Limitations on something like a Terrorist Attack.

Granted, in those 2 years, they'd have found out the connections to the red court's corporate connections. But since all of the officers of those corporations died, I'd bet Harry would still be on the "want to question" list.

Not really. That's a high profile deal. The investigation would have been thurough, well funded, and need to find results asap. So they'd have dug up everything and cleared the case by then. I'm sure there's still "truthers" hacking away at it who believe Harry did it, but most of them would love latching onto the vamps. I doubt Harry would be a person of interest at that point.
And Rashid's paperwork might have sparked some inquiry, but there' s better things to investigate than dead guy cleared of charges in wrapped up terrorism case wasn't dead. Investigations are only funded for so long.

[Cozarkian]

Didn't Harry tell the FBI about the Reds just before they attacked in Changes?

Also, I be think the attack on the FBI and the sniper shot at Harry strongly indicate he was the target of assassination attempts, not a terrorist, so he won't be arrested.

[Quantus]

Didn't Harry tell the FBI about the Reds just before they attacked in Changes?

Also, I be think the attack on the FBI and the sniper shot at Harry strongly indicate he was the target of assassination attempts, not a terrorist, so he won't be arrested.

He told /An Agent/, but I dont know that the FBI as a whole was made aware of the fact in any official way (even an ignored one like with Butters and the CPD). 

[Snark Knight]

He told /An Agent/, but I dont know that the FBI as a whole was made aware of the fact in any official way (even an ignored one like with Butters and the CPD).

Yeah, Tilly got clued in, but he can't very well report everything he knows up the chain without getting fitted for a straightjacket.

On the other hand, Harry and the gang dropped some bodies at the scene, and as I recall Murphy mentioned killing another set to guard the stairwell after they split up. If the Eebs missed removing any of their dead, inhuman bodies left behind after massacring a bunch of federal agents would be orders of magnitude harder to make go away than one videotape of a loup garou.

Only instead of Intpol, the Librarians.  Favors exchanged between the council and the LoC could work this way.

Pretty sure the Librarians would be just about as averse to the White Council learning about their organization as just about any of the other supernatural nations. The WOJ about them was that they're obsessively secretive out of caution about the powers they're in opposition to. I wouldn't be surprised if they were behind a few of the assassination attempts against Harry that haven't been otherwise attributed (though Ace is also a candidate).

[Rasins]

Yeah, Tilly got clued in, but he can't very well report everything he knows up the chain without getting fitted for a straightjacket.

On the other hand, Harry and the gang dropped some bodies at the scene, and as I recall Murphy mentioned killing another set to guard the stairwell after they split up. If the Eebs missed removing any of their dead, inhuman bodies left behind after massacring a bunch of federal agents would be orders of magnitude harder to make go away than one videotape of a loup garou.



Pretty sure the Librarians would be just about as averse to the White Council learning about their organization as just about any of the other supernatural nations. The WOJ about them was that they're obsessively secretive out of caution about the powers they're in opposition to. I wouldn't be surprised if they were behind a few of the assassination attempts against Harry that haven't been otherwise attributed (though Ace is also a candidate).

Or the car that tried to run him off the road?