Clive Goodman, the only News of the World reporter jailed for hacking, was arrested in the middle of a hugely successful investigation into a plot to bring down transatlantic airliners.
But CNN has learned that the inmate has failed a number of lie detector tests regarding the details -- described by some sources close to the investigation as vague -- of the plot.
Malcolm Smith and New York City Council Member Dan Halloran were arrested Tuesday morning in connection with a plot to tamper with the mayoral race, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.
The wire service said the investigation into its records appears related to an AP story about a thwarted terrorist plot in Yemen to bomb an airplane bound for the United States.
When the prisoners get back to town, the learned men take over the investigation and face a crucial moral challenge, but their actions seem like a plot point created to stoke discussion when the lights come up.