Walt Cummings

Walt Cummings was the White House Chief of Staff for President Charles Logan.

Day 4
Cummings first appeared on Day 4 when Logan took over the acting duties of President after President John Keeler was no longer able to perform his duties after Air Force One was shot down by Mitch Anderson. Cummings became increasingly concerned with Jack Bauer after Bauer led a raid on the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles to track down Chinese national Lee Jong, who had extensive information about the terrorist plots of Habib Marwan. During the raid, the Chinese Consul Koo Yin was killed as a result of friendly fire (CTU fired no shots during the raid), which outraged the Chinese and resulted in a serious diplomatic problem. China wanted to extradite Bauer and hold him responsible for the death of the Chinese Consul. The United States initially resisted this idea but eventually capitulated to the demands of the Chinese and agreed to hand over Bauer.



Cummings was worried that the Chinese would be able to extract important National security information from Bauer that could one day end up harming the United States. Cummings ordered Secret Service Agent Dale Spalding to kill Jack Bauer once he was in CTU custody. However, Cummings' plan was foiled when Presidential advisor Mike Novick overheard Cummings' phone conversation with Spalding. As a result, Novick went to former President David Palmer, a long time friend of Bauer's, to figure out a way to save Bauer's life. Palmer immediately went to President Charles Logan's office and warned him about Cummings' plot to kill Bauer. Logan refused to intervene, claiming that he had already set Cummings straight and that Cummings would not take action (Palmer assumed that in actuality, Logan simply believed that it wasn't his problem and that Cummings was doing the right thing). Palmer called Jack and warned him that he was a target for assasination.

Palmer's warning allowed Jack to fake his own death with the help of his fellow CTU colleagues Tony Almeida, Michelle Dessler, and Chloe O'Brian.

After Day 4
After the events that took place in Day 4, Walt Cummings met several times with Audrey Raines, mostly business related meetings. They both ended up in the same hotel one evening and they decided to share the same room. They slept together, but Audrey broke it off, as she was still in love with a deceased Jack Bauer.

Cummings later became involved in a conspiracy that would increase America interest in Central Asia. Since the plot had communications with terrorist factions, it would be considered treason by many federal courts. Members of the plot were Graem Bauer, President Charles Logan, Christopher Henderson, and James Nathanson. Nathanson served as a middleman, so Cummings wouldn't know about Logan's involvement.

Day 5


During the opening moments of Day 5, Mike Novick got a terrible phone call. He then informed President Logan and Cummings that President David Palmer was assassinated 15 miles away from the presidential retreat. CTU Los Angeles briefed the president on the news and requested for him to postpone the Anti-terrorism treaty signing with Russian President Yuri Suvarov, but Logan refused.

When First Lady Martha Logan was late getting to a press conference, Cummings decided to see what was going on and her assistant. Cummings broke the news about Palmer's death to Martha, who was very close to Palmer. After hearing about the assassination, Martha was convinced that it involved her. She claimed that David called her a night earlier to discuss a matter of National Security with her.

After President Suvarov and his wife Anya arrived at the retreat, Russian separtists took the Ontario Airport hostage, threatening to kill a hostage every 15 minutes if Logan didn't call of the signing. President Logan, Mike, and Walt were contacted by Bill Buchanan from CTU Los Angeles, who revealed they had an inside man in the airport. Jack Bauer, who was a suspect in Palmer's assassination, was in the airport around the time the hostage crisis started and he has been sharing his intel with CTU.

After the hostage crisis was over, Walt Cummings was exposed as a mole, as he had been working with James Nathanson. They showed the terrorists the location of the canisters,allowing them to procure it. They planned to have it explode, by satelliate, in their faces so interest in Central Asia would increase. When Cummings learned that Martha stole a transcript of her conversation with David, he knocked her out unconscious and stole the transcript.



Nathanson contacted Cummings and demanded for him to handle Bauer. Cummings revealed he had a man inside CTU and he called Spenser Wolff, asking for him to give Hank access to CTU. When Hank arrived, he killed Dr. Paulson and attempted to kill Bauer. Spenser was later exposed as a mole and while being interrogated by Jack, Buchanan, and Lynn McGill, he revealed that he was following Cummings orders.

Realizing he wouldn't be able to easily get to Cummings, Bauer called Mike Novick and asked for his help. Novick and Bauer met, and Cummings learned about it. He confessed to Logan for his involvement with the terrorists and ordering Palmer's assassination. After telling Logan that he committed treason in order to prove weapons of mass destruction were in Asia, justifying a stronger US military presence and increase in flow of oil.

Logan had Secret Service bring Bauer into custody, but Aaron Pierce let him out, in respect to David Palmer. Bauer confronted Cummings and demanded for the location of the nerve gas. After threatening to cut Cummings eye out with a knife, Cummings gave up the location. TAC units were sent to the location, but the gas was already gone. Ivan Erwich later contacted Cummings and told him he knew about Schaeffer, Cummings' inside man. Erwich was furious and told Cummings the US government would pay for his and Nathanson's betrayal.

With no other useful information, Logan had Agent Pierce place Cummings under arrest. A little after 1:40 pm, Novick called Logan and asked to meet him in the hallway. President Logan and Martha then learned that Cummings had hanged himself. In order to spare Walt's wife Suzanne any pain, Mike and Logan agreed to cover up Walt's involvement with the terrorists.

Later that day, President Logan was exposed as the high-ranking U.S. government offical behind the day's events, authorizing the assassinations (except Palmer's) and the selling of the nerve gas. He authorized Bauer's frameup but didn't authorize David Palmer's death. Knowing that Logan would object to this, Graem Bauer secretly ordered and paid off Christopher Henderson to hire assassins to kill David Palmer. Cummings co-conspired and arranged this with Nathanson. After a conversation with Henderson, it was Logan, who had one of his men kill Walt, under the request of Graem and his associates. Therefore, Cummings was selected to be the scapegoat in the conspiracy from the start to conceal Logan and Henderson's involvement.

Memorable quotes

 * Walt Cummings: (to President Logan) Suppose something happens to Bauer. Suppose he has an "accident".
 * David Palmer: That's an obscene suggestion!


 *  Walt Cummings: No, Mr. President, I am a patriot!


 * David Palmer: Jack Bauer would never compromise national security.
 * Walt Cummings: As much as I'd like to believe that, everybody breaks.


 * Walt Cummings: (his last lines) I don't want this weapon deployed on US soil any more than you do, but Nathanson cannot help you now and neither can I. These terrorists are operating on their own.