The CIA helped the producers of "Top Chef" on one of the show's past episodes, according to a new report.
Vice News cites a document that lists a 2010 episode of "Top Chef" — titled "Covert Cuisine" — in which the agency played a role. The CIA director at the time, Leon Panetta, also appeared on the show as a guest judge.
The "Top Chef" series is a cooking competition held over several weeks, with one chef eliminated every week by a panel of judges. The 2010 episode in question aired during the show's seventh season, which mostly took place in the Washington, D.C. area. The chefs served Panetta and the other judges in his private dining room at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va.
"The chefs must transform a well-known dish into something entirely new, cooking for none other than CIA Director Leon Panetta, who knows a thing or two about taking on a new identity," reads a description of the episode on the show's
official website.
"The chefs serve CIA Director Panetta and his closest allies in his private dining room inside the agency's closely guarded headquarters."
Vice News obtained an audit performed by the CIA's inspector general about the agency's ties with the entertainment industry. The audit was completed in 2012 but was recently released in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
Seven film, TV, and book projects were listed in the audit, including the movies "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Argo."
Within the CIA's Office of Public Affairs is the Entertainment Industry Liaison, whose goal "is an accurate portrayal of the men and women of the CIA, and the skill, innovation, daring, and commitment to public service that defines them," according to the CIA's website."
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