yehudit:

I believe that someone in Moveon.org may have brought the idea to Soros. He probably thought it was a good idea but did not have an active hand in it. You have to remember that he doesn’t have DO or KGB/GRU operatives executing the plan. Also, as suggested above the media has probably used forgeries before.

Legal issues: If the authorities want to get to bottom of this they would pursue the forging government documents angle in a Grand Jury investigation. There are no issues of public figures or first amendment rights involved. The prosecutor can be up front with CBS news officials and tell them they have no issue with their right to broadcast fact or fiction but the misuse and forgery of government documents is a serious offense. By making Rather a target of the investigation they could put in jeopardy by granting him immunity for his role in the con.