Steven Disraeli

Steven Disraeli may be the world's first documented "revenge consultant".

First Known Appearance

As early as 1972, allusions to Disraeli surfaced, referring to him vaguely as an industry insider and credible informant for investigative journalists. No formal statements about him or testimony by him have emerged in print or broadcast media since. His role is typically described as that of a corroberating witness, or more often an original source whose insights prompted subsequent investigations. No quoted remarks have ever been directly attributed to Disraeli, suggesting his desire to remain largely anonymous.

Handwritten notes believed to be those of Bob Woodward regarding the Watergate investigation refer to a source identified only as "Steven D". Woodward and his representatives have so far failed to authenticate the notes and the documents have therefore never been published. However there is speculation that Disraeli may have been a professional collegue or business associate of W. Mark Felt, former FBI Associate Director. (Woodward and Carl Bernstein confirmed in 2005 Felt was in fact the infamous Deep Throat.) Bernstein and Felt likewise have made no public comment confirming or denying the importance of Disraeli's information about the events surrounding the Watergate break-in or cover-up.

Disputed Identity

There are to date no public records of military service, university attendance, passport application, motor vehicle registration, income taxes, birth or death certificates, despite numerous attempts to confirm or refute Disraeli's existence. While it is presumed this lack of documentation implies Disraeli does not exist, those who claim to have had indirect contact with him cite this absence as evidence that Disraeli's reputation as a deep-cover operative is accurate and deserved. Others offer a third option -- that Steven Disraeli may simply be a pseudonym for one or more individuals wishing to avoid celebrity or reprisal. Another theory further speculates the name is used collectively by underground political radicals or rogue intelligence agents for actions they are inclined to disavow. Such pseudonyms are not without precedent, not unlike the use of Alan Smithee by film directors who are ultimately unsatisfied with studio editing decisions.

It is suggested that Disraeli may have served as the inspiration for several cinematic personas. The Usual Suspects (1995), Zero Effect (1998) and Fight Club (1999) all share common themes and a pivotal character of ulterior motives, questionable means and dubious identity. These film figures have led some who actively seek to unmask Disraeli to speculate he may be a well-connected individual in the entertainment industry. However his access and actions are more aligned with those of a counter intelligence operative who now relies on a highly-developed series of identities and cover stories to settle old scores, much to the dismay of his former handlers.

Disraeli's exploits over time have evolved from subtle redirection to active subversion. A possible sighting that has become part of Hollywood folklore occurred during the shooting of the 1978 film Capricorn One. A set designer calling himself "Steve N. Disraeli" was busy finishing up part of the Martian terrain. Complimented by one of the cast on how authentic the landscape looked, he coyly responded that the last time he did this it was in black and white (alluding to the theory that the Apollo moon landings may have been similarly staged). The set designer left for lunch and never returned. Upon investigation, no one in the crew matching that name or the cast member's description was identified and the related set work was uncredited in the final cut. Similar infiltration of Congressional hearings, corporate shareholder meetings and even a security breach at Bohemian Grove in 2000 are believed to have been masterminded by Disraeli. This trend has raised concerns among many industrialists and extra governmental organizations about his underlying motivations and agenda.

Motivations

Law enforcement agencies including Scotland Yard, Interpol, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP-GRC) and United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have no active files on Disraeli. Given the lack of any known affiliations, physical description or base of operations, this is to be expected. Though he is rumored to have participated in the planning stages of numerous brand boycotts and political demonstrations, definitive attribution has thus far been unsubstantiated and efforts to link any such activity to legal wrongdoing or criminal charges have likewise been elusive.

Disraeli's modus operandi is to orchestrate complex, distributed attacks against a specific target in such a manner as to give the appearance of a grassroots initiative or self-directed protest. It is also believed Disraeli has sought out prospective whistleblowers in key industries and encouraged them to come forward. Such influence may have played a part in the 1995 tobacco industry revelations of Jeffrey Wigand and the implications of improper accounting practices at Arthur Anderson culminating in the corporate collapse of Enron in 2001 and MCI WorldCom in 2002. These are some of the more high profile exploits Disraeli has been commonly credited with, but his suspected activities have been linked to incidents as diverse as the seemly spontaneous public backlash against New Coke in 1985 and the more recent discrediting of flexible-fuel vehicles as more economical than electric hybrids. (The switch to high-fructose corn syrup following the failure of New Coke and increased concentration of ethanol used by flexible-fuel vehicles may both have been driven by the heavily subsidized U.S. corn industry whose efforts exercise significant influence over the nation's agricultural policy.) Disraeli seems to hold a particular distain for unchecked monopolies and industry lobbying groups who seem to be increasingly on the receiving end of his disruptive endeavors.

More recently Disraeli's influence can been seen in the rising tide of dissent against the Bush administration and the Iraq War. The curtailing of civil liberties and circumvention of the U.S. Constitution are sufficient cause for Disraeli to ally himself with groups challenging the administration's authoritarian actions. However, this may be further evidence of a long-standing conflict with the Bush family and their financial ties to the House of Saud. It is believed Disraeli blames these shared oil interests for unduly guiding U.S. foreign policy. Disrael's ongoing challenge to the Bush dynasty may also have its origin in the undisclosed CIA role in the Iran Contra affair, a grudge perhaps dating back as far as George H.W. Bush's appointment to CIA Director in 1976. The neoconservative think tank Project for the New American Century has internally accused Disraeli of being the catalyst behind the 9/11 Truth Movement, but has failed to make these claims publicly.

Direction

Steven Disraeli's greatest strength is the paranoia his name instills. Few organizations or individuals are even aware of his activities and those who are rarely make declarations of his suspected meddling in their operations for fear that if he is not already involved, they might attract his unwanted attention. With a network of conspirators, Disraeli commands an army of intelligence and influence rivaling even the world's most agile information gathering and security agencies. Well-placed operatives and well-trained amateurs make his initiatives difficult to detect and nearly impossible to defend against. Some possible collaborators, including notables such as Kevin Mitnick, Ricky Jay and Frank Abagnale, have been suspected of acting on Disraeli's behalf as consultants or advisors, though no comments confirming or denying participation in any of his activities have been acknowledged. If Disraeli does exist, his pain-staking efforts to assure plausible deniability are engineered with enviable efficiency.

Disraeli's unexpected emergence online in 2006 as a "revenge consultant" after more than three decades of loosely attributed activities marks a significant shift in trajectory. While his methods and tactics have always relied on intense research, the advent of the internet may have presented intriguing new opportunities to ply his trade. The anonymity of online access to personal and corporate information have increased the vulnerability of potential marks. Leading speculation supported by this reinvention is that Disraeli may be seeking redemption for past actions by offering his services to private individuals and nobler causes for whom retribution may be the only option for recourse. Another theory gaining momentum is that Disraeli may be training a team of operatives and therefore requires a larger, more diverse set of clients. With the uncertainty of his age or health a growing concern among the world's few Disraeli experts, the notion that his pending mortality may have inspired him to start grooming a new generation of revenge consultants to carry on his legacy of undermining government corruption and corporate greed may be equally valid.

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