CIA leak grand jury investigation (related to the "CIA leak scandal", also known as the "Plame affair") was a federal inquiry "into the alleged unauthorized disclosure of a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee's identity," a possible violation of criminal statutes, including the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 793. The United States Intelligence Community (IC is a cooperative federation of 16 separate United States government agencies that work together to conduct intelligence The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (sometimes referred to as SSCI) is See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence The phrase Plame Affair (also known as the CIA leak scandal, the CIA leak case, the CIA leak grand jury investigation, and Plamegate) refers The phrase Plame Affair (also known as the CIA leak scandal, the CIA leak case, the CIA leak grand jury investigation, and Plamegate) refers near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all The Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982 () is a United States federal law that makes it a federal crime to intentionally reveal the identity of an agent whom one Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The United States Code ( USC) is a compilation and Codification of the general and permanent federal Law of the United States.

"CIA leak scandal" ("Plame affair")

Main article: Plame affair

Further information: CIA leak scandal timeline

The "CIA leak scandal", or the Plame affair", refers to a dispute stemming from allegations that one or more White House officials revealed Valerie Plame Wilson's covert CIA identity as "Valerie Plame" to reporters. The phrase Plame Affair (also known as the CIA leak scandal, the CIA leak case, the CIA leak grand jury investigation, and Plamegate) refers Note This subject is also referred to as "CIA leak case timeline" "Plamegate scandal timeline" and "Plame affair timeline" The phrase Plame Affair (also known as the CIA leak scandal, the CIA leak case, the CIA leak grand jury investigation, and Plamegate) refers The phrase Plame Affair (also known as the CIA leak scandal, the CIA leak case, the CIA leak grand jury investigation, and Plamegate) refers See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence Valerie Elise Plame Wilson (born 19 April 1963) known as Valerie Plame, Valerie E Non-official cover ( NOC) is a term used in Espionage (particularly by national intelligence services for agents or operatives who assume covert roles in organizations near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all

In his July 14, 2003 newspaper column, Robert Novak^[19] revealed the name of CIA employee Valerie Plame, wife of Joseph C. Wilson IV, who had covert status^[1][2]. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Robert David Sanders "Bob" Novak (born February 26, 1931) is a Conservative American political commentator syndicated columnist and journalist Valerie Elise Plame Wilson (born 19 April 1963) known as Valerie Plame, Valerie E For information about the American political scandal pertaining to Joseph C Wilson, a former U. S. Ambassador, had criticized the Bush Administration in a July 6, 2003, editorial in The New York Times. An ambassador is the highest ranking Diplomat who represents their country The Presidency of George W Bush began on his inauguration on January 20, 2001 as the 43rd and current President of the United States of America Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Wilson argued that the Bush Administration misrepresented intelligence prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. In his column, Novak diminished Wilson’s claims:

Wilson never worked for the CIA, but his wife, Valerie Plame, is an Agency operative on weapons of mass destruction. Two senior administration officials told me Wilson's wife suggested sending him to Niger to investigate. Niger ( or /ˈnaɪdʒɚ/) officially the Republic of Niger, is a Landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. . . . ^[20]

On October 1, 2003, Richard Armitage told both Secretary of State Colin Powell and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that he "was the inadvertent leak". Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Colin Luther Powell, KCB (Honorary MSC, (born April 5, 1937) is a retired General in the United States Army. [21]

Appointment of Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald

On September 26, 2003, at the request of the CIA, the Department of Justice and the FBI began a criminal investigation into the possible unauthorized disclosure of classified information regarding Valerie Wilson’s CIA affiliation to various reporters in the spring of 2003. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. For animal rights group see Justice Department (JD The United States Department of Justice ( DOJ) is a Cabinet department Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft initially headed up the investigation. The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement John David Ashcroft (born May 9 1942) is an American Politician who was the 79th United States Attorney General. On 13 August 2005 journalist Murray Waas reported that Justice Department and FBI officials had recommended appointing a special prosecutor to the case because they felt that Rove had not been truthful in early interviews, withholding from FBI investigators his conversation with Cooper about Plame and maintaining that he had first learned of Plame's CIA identity from a journalist whose name Rove could not recall. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In addition, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, from whose prior campaigns Rove had been paid $746,000 in consulting fees, had been briefed on the contents of at least one of Rove's interviews with the FBI, raising concerns of a conflict of interest. ^[3] A 2 October 2003 New York Times article similarly connected Karl Rove to the matter and highlighted his prior employment in three previous political campaigns for Ashcroft. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) was Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W Ashcroft subsequently recused himself from the investigation, apparently at the end of December 2003.

U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald was appointed Special Counsel on 30 December 2003 (Comey names Fitzgerald). Patrick J Fitzgerald (born December 22, 1960) is an American attorney and the current United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Letter from James B. Comey, Acting Attorney General, to Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney:

By the authority vested in the Attorney General by law, including 28 U. S. C. 509, 510, and 515, and in my capacity as Acting Attorney General pursuant to 28 U. S. C. 508, I hereby delegate to you all the authority of the Attorney General with respect to the Department's investigation into the alleged unauthorized disclosure of a CIA employee's identity, and I direct you to exercise that authority as Special Counsel independent of the supervision or control of any officer of the Department. ^[22]

Fitzgerald began investigations into the leak working from White House telephone records turned over to the FBI in October 2003. ^[4]

Fitzgerald learned of Armitage's role in the leak "shortly after his appointment in 2003". [23]

The investigation

The first grand jury

On October 31, 2003, a grand jury was sworn in and began taking testimony. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. In the Common law, a grand jury is a type of Jury which determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial. A complete list of witnesses to testify there is not known, in part because Fitzgerald has conducted his investigation with much more discretion than previous presidential investigations. ^[5]

Some individuals have acknowledged giving testimony, including White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, Deputy Press Secretary Claire Buchan, former press secretary Ari Fleischer, former special advisor to the president Karen Hughes, former White House communications aide Adam Levine, former advisor to the Vice President Mary Matalin, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official with a rank one step below Presidential Cabinet level Scott McClellan (born February 14, 1968) is a former White House Press Secretary (2003&ndash2006 for President George W Lawrence Ari Fleischer (born October 13 1960) was the press secretary for U Karen "Brown Teeth" "Old Face" Parfitt Hughes (born December 27, 1956) is a Republican politician from the state of Texas Adam Levine (born on January 15 1969 is a media personality well-known as a White House deputy press secretary in President George W This is about the political professional For the actress see Marlee Matlin. Secretary of State is a commonly used title for a Government Official. Colin Luther Powell, KCB (Honorary MSC, (born April 5, 1937) is a retired General in the United States Army. ^[6]

Fitzgerald interviewed both Vice President Dick Cheney and President George W. Bush but not separately and not under oath. The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney (born January 30 1941 is the forty-sixth and current Vice President of the United States. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. ^[7]

Legal filings by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald contain many pages blanked out for security reasons, leading some observers to speculate that Fitzgerald has pursued the extent to which national security was compromised by Plame's identity being revealed.

In March 2004, the Special Counsel subpoenaed the telephone records of Air Force One. A subpoena (səˈpiːnə is commonly defined as a written command to a person to Testify before a Court or be punished WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Known grand jury witnesses

Karl Rove

George Tenet

Colin Powell

Cabinet

• Alberto Gonzales — Attorney General, then serving as White House Counsel
• Colin Powell — former Secretary of State on August 16, 2004

CIA

• George Tenet — former Director
  • Bill Harlow — former spokesman
  • John McLaughlin — Deputy Director

Vice-President's Office

• Irving Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Jr. — Chief of Staff
  • Mary Matalin — former advisor

President

• Karen Hughes — former special advisor

• Karl Rove — Senior Advisor
  • Israel Hernandez — former advisor to Karl Rove, Commerce Department official
  • Susan Ralston — secretary to Karl Rove

White House Press Office

• Claire Buchan — Deputy Press Secretary
• Ari Fleischer — former Press Secretary
• Adam Levine (press aide) — former press aide
• Scott McClellan — Press Secretary

Other government officials

• Carl Ford — former director of Bureau of Intelligence and Research in the State Department. Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) was Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W George John Tenet (born January 5, 1953) was the Director of Central Intelligence for the United States Central Intelligence Agency Colin Luther Powell, KCB (Honorary MSC, (born April 5, 1937) is a retired General in the United States Army. Alberto R Gonzales (born August 4 1955) was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence Colin Luther Powell, KCB (Honorary MSC, (born April 5, 1937) is a retired General in the United States Army. Secretary of State is a commonly used title for a Government Official. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " George John Tenet (born January 5, 1953) was the Director of Central Intelligence for the United States Central Intelligence Agency John Edward McLaughlin (born June 15, 1942 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania) is the former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence Irve Lewis "Scooter" Libby (born August 22 1950) is a former Assistant to the President of the United States, George W This is about the political professional For the actress see Marlee Matlin. Karen "Brown Teeth" "Old Face" Parfitt Hughes (born December 27, 1956) is a Republican politician from the state of Texas Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) was Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W Israel Hernandez is currently serving as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director-General of the United States Commercial Service under President George Susan Bonzon Ralston (born October 15 1967) is the President of SBR Enterprises LLC a government affairs public relations and business consulting firm in A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the News media and using News management techniques helps Lawrence Ari Fleischer (born October 13 1960) was the press secretary for U Adam Levine (born on January 15 1969 is a media personality well-known as a White House deputy press secretary in President George W Scott McClellan (born February 14, 1968) is a former White House Press Secretary (2003&ndash2006 for President George W Carl W Ford Jr (born 1943 is an American from Arkansas. He was head the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR in the United States State Department

Media

• Matt Cooper — Time journalist
• Judith Miller — The New York Times journalist
• Walter Pincus — Washington Post journalist
• Bob Woodward — Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor
• Robert Novak — columnist who published Plame's identity
• Viveca Novak — Time magazine reporter
• Tim Russert — NBC News senior correspondent, host of Meet the Press

Other

• Robert Luskin — attorney for Karl Rove. Matthew Cooper (born 1962 is a former reporter for Time who along with New York Times reporter Judith Miller was held in Contempt For other uses see Time (disambiguation Time is a component of a measuring system used to sequence events to compare the durations of Judith Miller (born January 2, 1948) is an American journalist Walter Haskell Pincus (born December 24, 1932) is a national security Journalist for The Washington Post. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Robert "Bob" Upshur Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is an assistant managing editor of The Washington Post. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Robert David Sanders "Bob" Novak (born February 26, 1931) is a Conservative American political commentator syndicated columnist and journalist Valerie Elise Plame Wilson (born 19 April 1963) known as Valerie Plame, Valerie E Viveca Novak is an American journalist. She was a Washington correspondent for Time. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Timothy John Russert II (May 7 1950 &ndash June 13 2008 was an American television Journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving NBC News is the news division of American Television network NBC, a part of NBC Universal, which is majority-owned by General Electric Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. Robert D Luskin (born January 21, 1950) is an attorney and partner in the law firm of Patton Boggs LLP, specializing in White-collar crime and Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) was Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W

Journalists and contempt of court

Several journalists have testified on this matter.

Novak

Columnist Robert Novak, who later admitted that the CIA attempted to dissuade him from revealing Plame's name in print, "appears to have made some kind of arrangement with the special prosecutor" (according to Newsweek)^[8] and he has not been charged with contempt of court.

Cooper

On 2 July 2005, Karl Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin, said that his client spoke to TIME reporter Matt Cooper "three or four days" before Plame's identity was first revealed in print by commentator Robert Novak. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Robert D Luskin (born January 21, 1950) is an attorney and partner in the law firm of Patton Boggs LLP, specializing in White-collar crime and Robert David Sanders "Bob" Novak (born February 26, 1931) is a Conservative American political commentator syndicated columnist and journalist (Cooper's article in TIME, citing unnamed and anonymous "government officials," confirmed Plame to be a "CIA official who monitors the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. " Cooper's article appeared three days after Novak's column was published. ) Rove's lawyer, however, asserted that Rove "never knowingly disclosed classified information" and that "he did not tell any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA. " This second statement has since been called into question by an e-mail, written three days before Novak's column, in which Cooper indicated that Rove had told him Wilson's wife worked at the CIA. If Rove were aware that this was classified information at the time, then both disclaimers by his lawyer would be untrue. Furthermore, Luskin said that Rove himself had testified before the grand jury "two or three times" (three times, according to the Los Angeles Times of 3 July 2005^[9]) and signed a waiver authorizing reporters to testify about their conversations with him and that Rove "has answered every question that has been put to him about his conversations with Cooper and anybody else. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. " Rove's lawyer declined to share with Newsweek reporter Michael Isikoff the nature or contents of his client's conversations with Cooper. Michael Isikoff (b Syosset New York, 1952 is an Investigative journalist for the United States -based magazine Newsweek. ^{[10][11][12][13][14]}

On 6 July 2005, Cooper agreed to testify, thus avoiding being held in contempt of court and sent to jail. Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Contempt of court is a court ruling which in the context of a court trial or hearing deems an individual as having been disrespectful of the court its process and its invested Cooper said "I went to bed ready to accept the sanctions for not testifying," but told the judge that not long before his early afternoon appearance at court he had received "in somewhat dramatic fashion" an indication from his source freeing him from his commitment to keep his source's identity secret. For some observers this called into question the allegations against Rove, who had signed a waiver months before permitting reporters to testify about their conversations with him (see above paragraph). ^[15]

Cooper, however, stated in court that he did not previously accept a general waiver to journalists signed by his source (whom he did not identify by name), because he had made a personal pledge of confidentiality to his source. The 'dramatic change' which allowed Cooper to testify was later revealed to be a phone conversation between lawyers for Cooper and his source confirming that the waiver signed two years earlier applied to conversations with Cooper. Citing a "person who has been officially briefed on the case," The New York Times identified Rove as the individual in question,^[16] a fact later confirmed by Rove's own lawyer. ^[17] According to one of Cooper's lawyers, Cooper has previously testified before the grand jury regarding conversations with Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Jr., chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney, after having received Libby's specific permission to testify. Irve Lewis "Scooter" Libby (born August 22 1950) is a former Assistant to the President of the United States, George W ^[18][19]

Cooper testified before a grand jury on 13 July 2005, confirming that Rove was the source who told him Wilson's wife was an employee of the CIA. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[20] In the 17 July 2005 TIME Magazine article detailing his grand jury testimony, Cooper wrote that Rove never used Plame's name nor indicated that she had covert status, although Rove did apparently convey that certain information relating to her was classified: "As for Wilson's wife, I told the grand jury I was certain that Rove never used her name and that, indeed, I did not learn her name until the following week, when I either saw it in Robert Novak's column or Googled her, I can't recall which,. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. . . [but] was it through my conversation with Rove that I learned for the first time that Wilson's wife worked at the C. I. A. and may have been responsible for sending him? Yes. Did Rove say that she worked at the 'agency' on 'W. M. D. '? Yes. When he said things would be declassified soon, was that itself impermissible? I don't know. Is any of this a crime? Beats me. "^[21] Cooper also explained to the grand jury that the "double super secret background" under which Rove spoke to him was not an official White House or TIME Magazine source or security designation, but an allusion to the 1978 film Animal House, in which a college fraternity is placed under "double secret probation. "^[22]

Miller

New York Times investigative reporter Judith Miller, who met with Lewis Libby on July 8, 2003, two days after Wilson's editorial was published, never wrote or reported a story on the Plame affair,^[23] but nevertheless refused (with Cooper) to answer questions before a grand jury in 2004 pertaining to confidential sources. Judith Miller (born January 2, 1948) is an American journalist Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Both reporters were held in contempt of court. On 27 June 2005, after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant certiorari,^[24] TIME Magazine said it would surrender to Fitzgerald e-mail records and notes taken by Cooper, and Cooper agreed to testify before the grand jury after receiving a waiver from his source. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Certiorari (ˌsɚʃioʊ('rɛri 'rɑri is a legal term in Roman, English, Philippine and American law referring to a type of Writ Miller and Cooper faced potential jail terms for failure to cooperate with the Special Counsel's investigations. ^[25]

New York Times reporter Judith Miller served a civil contempt jail sentence from early July 2005 to 29 September 2005, for refusing to testify to the grand jury. Judith Miller (born January 2, 1948) is an American journalist Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Miller was jailed on 7 July 2005, in the same Alexandria, Virginia facility as Zacarias Moussaoui. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Alexandria is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Zacarias Moussaoui ( Arabic: زكريا موسوي; born May 30 1968 is a French citizen who was convicted of conspiring to kill citizens She was released on September 29 upon reaching an agreement with Fitzgerald to testify at a hearing scheduled on the morning of September 30, 2005. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[26][27] Miller indicated that her source, unlike Cooper's, had not sufficiently waived confidentiality. She issued a statement at a press conference after her release, stating that her source, Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff, had released her from her promise of confidentiality, saying her source "voluntarily and personally released [her] from [her] promise of confidentiality. Irve Lewis "Scooter" Libby (born August 22 1950) is a former Assistant to the President of the United States, George W "

In August 2005 the American Prospect magazine reported that Lewis Libby testified he had discussed Plame with Miller during a July 8, 2003, meeting. Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Libby signed a general waiver allowing journalists to reveal their discussions with him on this matter, but American Prospect reported that Miller refused to honor this waiver on the grounds that she considered it coerced. Miller had said she would accept a specific individual waiver to testify, but contends Libby had not given her one until late September 2005. In contrast, Libby's lawyer has insisted that he had fully released Miller to testify all along.

On October 16, 2005, Judith Miller published an account of her grand jury testimony for the New York Times. In the article, titled "My Four Hours Testifying in the Federal Grand Jury Room",^[28] Miller writes:

My notes indicate that well before Mr. Wilson published his critique, Mr. Libby told me that Mr. Wilson's wife may have worked on unconventional weapons at the C. I. A. My notes do not show that Mr. Libby identified Mr. Wilson's wife by name. Nor do they show that he described Valerie Wilson as a covert agent or "operative," as the conservative columnist Robert D. Novak first described her in a syndicated column published on July 14, 2003. (Mr. Novak used her maiden name, Valerie Plame. ). . . My interview notes show that Mr. Libby sought from the beginning, before Mr. Wilson's name became public, to insulate his boss from Mr. Wilson's charges. According to my notes, he told me at our June meeting that Mr. Cheney did not know of Mr. Wilson, much less know that Mr. Wilson had traveled to Niger, in West Africa, to verify reports that Iraq was seeking to acquire uranium for a weapons program. . . Although I was interested primarily in my area of expertise — chemical and biological weapons — my notes show that Mr. Libby consistently steered our conversation back to the administration's nuclear claims. His main theme echoed that of other senior officials: that contrary to Mr. Wilson's criticism, the administration had had ample reason to be concerned about Iraq's nuclear capabilities based on the regime's history of weapons development, its use of unconventional weapons and fresh intelligence reports. At that breakfast meeting, our conversation also turned to Mr. Wilson's wife. My notes contain a phrase inside parentheses: "Wife works at Winpac. " Mr. Fitzgerald asked what that meant. Winpac stood for Weapons Intelligence, Non-Proliferation, and Arms Control, the name of a unit within the C. I. A. that, among other things, analyzes the spread of unconventional weapons. I said I couldn't be certain whether I had known Ms. Plame's identity before this meeting, and I had no clear memory of the context of our conversation that resulted in this notation. But I told the grand jury that I believed that this was the first time I had heard that Mr. Wilson's wife worked for Winpac. In fact, I told the grand jury that when Mr. Libby indicated that Ms. Plame worked for Winpac, I assumed that she worked as an analyst, not as an undercover operative. . . Mr. Fitzgerald asked me about another entry in my notebook, where I had written the words "Valerie Flame," clearly a reference to Ms. Plame. Mr. Fitzgerald wanted to know whether the entry was based on my conversations with Mr. Libby. I said I didn't think so. I said I believed the information came from another source, whom I could not recall.

The investigation expands to perjury and obstruction

On 13 May 2005, citing "close followers of the case," The Washington Post reported that the length of the investigation, and the particular importance paid to the testimony of reporters, suggested that the counsel's role had expanded to include investigation of perjury charges against witnesses. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[29] Other observers have suggested that the testimony of journalists was needed to show a pattern of intent by the leaker or leakers. A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends Intent in Law is the planning and desire to perform an act, to fail to do so (i ^[30]

On October 6, 2005, Fitzgerald recalled Karl Rove, for the fourth time, to take the stand before the grand jury investigating the leak of Plame's identity. Fitzgerald had indicated that the only remaining witnesses to call were Cooper and Miller before he would close his case. ^[31]

Indictment of Libby

Lewis "Scooter" Libby

On October 28, 2005, the grand jury issued a five-count indictment^[32] (PDF) against Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff, on felony charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to the FBI and the grand jury investigating the matter. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In Common law legal systems a felony is a serious Crime, often contrasted with a Misdemeanor. Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under Oath or Affirmation in a The crime of obstruction of justice includes crimes committed by Judges Prosecutors attorneys general, and elected officials in general ^[24]

Libby was charged with lying to FBI agents and to the grand jury about two conversations with reporters, Tim Russert of NBC News and Matt Cooper of Time magazine. According to the Indictment, the obstruction of justice count alleges that while testifying under oath before the grand jury on March 5 and March 24, 2004, Libby knowingly and corruptly endeavored to influence, obstruct and impede the grand jury’s investigation by misleading and deceiving the grand jury as to when, and the manner and means by which, he acquired, and subsequently disclosed to the media, information concerning the employment of Valerie Wilson by the CIA.

From January 20, 2001, to October 28, 2005, Libby served as Assistant to the President, Chief of Staff to the Vice President, and Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs. In Politics, a chief of staff is the primary aide to a political leader or position After the indictment was released to the public, Libby resigned his position in the White House.

On November 3, 2005, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby entered a not guilty plea in front of U. S. District Judge Reggie Walton, a former prosecutor who has spent two decades as a judge in the nation's capital.

United States v. Libby

Main article: United States v. Libby

See also: Lewis Libby clemency controversy

The second grand jury

The first grand jury's term expired on October 28, the day it indicted Libby. United States of America v I Lewis Libby also known as "Scooter Libby" (USA v The Lewis Libby clemency controversy arose when US President George W On November 18, 2005, Fitzgerald submitted new court papers indicating that he would use a new grand jury to assist him in his ongoing investigation. The use of a new grand jury could indicate that additional evidence or charges are coming, but experienced federal prosecutors cautioned against reading too much into Fitzgerald's disclosure:

"It could just mean that the prosecutor needs the powers of the grand jury" to further his investigation and make a final determination whether to charge, said Dan French, a former federal prosecutor now representing a witness in the inquiry.

"One of the greatest powers of the grand jury is the ability to subpoena witnesses … and Fitzgerald may want that authority to pursue additional questions," French said. A subpoena (səˈpiːnə is commonly defined as a written command to a person to Testify before a Court or be punished Peers of Ireland The FitzGeralds are a Hiberno-Norman Dynasty, and have been Peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century He might also need subpoenas to obtain documents, telephone records and executive branch agency security logs. ^[33]

After a six week break, special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald presented information to a new grand jury on December 8, 2005. ^[25]

Court proceedings

Due to the huge amount of classified material that had been requested by Libby's defense, David Corn speculated that Libby was using Graymail as defense tactic. David Corn is a Liberal American political journalist and author Graymail is the threatened revelation of state secrets in order to manipulate legal proceedings ^[34] Libby had added the graymail expert John D. Cline to his defense team. ^[35]

In December 2005, Patrick Fitzgerald responded to a motion by Dow Jones & Company, Inc. , to unseal all or part of the redacted portion of a United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia opinion issued on February 15, 2005. The opinion pertained to oral arguments held on December 8, 2004. ^[36] The opinion of the court was released on February 3, 2006, to the public. ^[37][38] It states:

As to the leaks’ harmfulness, although the record omits specifics about Plame’s work, it appears to confirm, as alleged in the public record and reported in the press, that she worked for the CIA in some unusual capacity relating to counterproliferation. Addressing deficiencies of proof regarding the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, the special counsel refers to Plame as “a person whose identity the CIA was making specific efforts to conceal and who had carried out covert work overseas within the last 5 years” — representations I trust the special counsel would not make without support. (8/27/04 Aff. at 28 n. 15. )^[39]

On January 31, 2006, letters exchanged between Libby's lawyers and Fitzgerald's office concerning matters of discovery were released to the public. ^[40] Reportedly, Fitgerald states:

"A formal assessment has not been done of the damage caused by the disclosure of Valerie Wilson’s status as a CIA employee, and thus we possess no such document. In any event, we would not view an assessment of the damage caused by the disclosure as relevant to the issue of whether or not Mr. Libby intentionally lied when he made the statements and gave the grand jury testimony which the grand jury alleged was false. "^[41]

On March 17, 2006, Patrick Fitzgerald filed the government's response to a motion by Scooter Libby's defense team [26]to dismiss the indictments. ^[42]

On April 5, 2006, Patrick Fitzgerald filed the government's response to a motion by Scooter Libby's defense team[27]on issues of discovery. On April 12, 2006, Fitzgerald issued a correction to some of the information in the government's motion. ^[43] In the memo, he writes:

Nor would such documents of the CIA, NSC and the State Department place in context the importance of the conversations in which defendant participated. Defendant’s participation in a critical conversation with Judith Miller on July 8 (discussed further below) occurred only after the Vice President advised defendant that the President specifically had authorized defendant to disclose certain information in the NIE. Defendant testified that the circumstances of his conversation with reporter Miller — getting approval from the President through the Vice President to discuss material that would be classified but for that approval — were unique in his recollection. Defendant further testified that on July 12, 2003, he was specifically directed by the Vice President to speak to the press in place of Cathie Martin (then the communications person for the Vice President) regarding the NIE and Wilson. Defendant was instructed to provide what was for him an extremely rare “on the record” statement, and to provide “background” and “deep background” statements, and to provide information contained in a document defendant understood to be the cable authored by Mr. Wilson. During the conversations that followed on July 12, defendant discussed Ms. Wilson’s employment with both Matthew Cooper (for the first time) and Judith Miller (for the third time). Even if someone else in some other agency thought that the controversy about Mr. Wilson and/or his wife was a trifle, that person’s state of mind would be irrelevant to the importance and focus defendant placed on the matter and the importance he attached to the surrounding conversations he was directed to engage in by the Vice President. ^[44]

Karl Rove testified before the new grand jury for the fifth time in the case on April 26, 2006, and, on June 12, 2006, his attorney stated that Rove had been formally notified by Fitzgerald that Rove would not be charged with any crimes. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[45][46]

According to Mike Allen, in Time Magazine, Rove's attorney Robert D. Luskin told reporters that he received a fax from Fitzgerald indicating that "absent any unexpected developments, he does not anticipate seeking any criminal charges against Rove. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Robert D Luskin (born January 21, 1950) is an attorney and partner in the law firm of Patton Boggs LLP, specializing in White-collar crime and "^[47] John Solomon of Associated Press reported that the news came by telephone rather than fax. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio ^[48] The New York Times reported that the news was announced by Fitzgerald "in a letter to Mr. Luskin. "^[49] Luskin's own public statement indicated only that he was "formally advised" of this news by Fitzgerald, and Luskin's office has so far refused to comment further on that statement. ^[50]

A handwritten note above Joe Wilson's editorial by Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney wrote: "Have they done this sort of thing before?" "Send an amb(assador) to answer a question?" "Do we ordinarily send people out pro bono to work for us? "Or did his wife send him on a junket?".

In a court filing on May 12, 2006, Fitzgerald included a copy of Wilson's op-ed article in the New York Times "bearing handwritten notations by the vice president" (See photograph). ^[51] Fitzgerald's filing declares that Libby ascertained Plame's name from Cheney through conferences by the vice president's office about "how to respond to a June 2003 inquiry from Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus about Wilson's trip to Niger". In the filing, Fitzgerald states:

The June 12, 2003, Washington Post article by Mr. Pincus (to whom both Mr. Wilson and the defendant spoke prior to publication of the article) is relevant because Mr. Pincus’ questions to the OVP sparked discussion within the OVP, including conversations between the defendant and the Vice President regarding how Mr. Pincus’ questions should be answered. It was during a conversation concerning Mr. Pincus’ inquiries that the Vice President advised the defendant that Mr. Wilson’s wife worked at the CIA. (To be clear, the government does not contend that the defendant disclosed the employment of Ms. Plame to Mr. Pincus, and Mr. Pincus’s article contains no reference to her or her employment. ) The article by Mr. Pincus thus explains the context in which the defendant discussed Mr. Wilson’s wife’s employment with the Vice President. The article also served to increase media attention concerning the then-unnamed ambassador’s trip and further motivated the defendant to counter Mr. Wilson’s assertions, making it more likely that the defendant’s disclosures to the press concerning Mr. Wilson’s wife were not casual disclosures that he had forgotten by the time he was asked about them by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and before the grand jury. ^[52]

Fitzgerald sought to compel Matt Cooper, a Time Magazine correspondent who had covered the story, to disclose his sources to a grand jury. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and After losing all legal appeals up through the Supreme Court, Time turned over Cooper's notes to the prosecutor. Cooper agreed to testify after receiving permission from his source, Karl Rove, to do so. Robert Luskin confirmed Rove was Cooper's source. A July 11, 2003, e=mail from Cooper to his bureau chief indicated that Rove had told Cooper that it was Wilson's wife who authorized her husband's trip to Niger, mentioning that she "apparently" worked at "the agency" on weapons of mass destruction issues. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. A weapon of mass destruction ( WMD) is a weapon which can kill large numbers of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures (e Newsweek reported that nothing in the Cooper e-mail suggested that Rove used Plame's name or knew she was a covert operative,^[28] although Cooper's Time magazine article describing his grand jury testimony noted that Rove said, "I've already said too much. " Neither Newsweek nor Time released the complete Cooper e-mail.

On May 16, 2006, a transcript of court proceedings before Judge Reggie B. Walton was released. Libby's lawyers sought communications between Matthew Cooper and Massimo Calabresi, authors of an article published by Time magazine on July 17, 2003, and titled, "A War on Wilson?" Libby's lawyers contend that Massimo called Joe Wilson after Cooper learned from Karl Rove that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA. Libby's lawyers also told the judge they have an e-mail Cooper sent to his editor describing a July 12, 2003, conversation with Libby in which there is no mention of Plame or her CIA status. An e-mail was sent to Cooper's editor on July 16, 2003, "four days after his conversation with Mr. Libby and 5 days after his conversation with Mr. Rove, about the article they are planning to write in which they are going to mention the wife. And the e-mail says — talks about him having an administration source for the information about Ms. Wilson. " Thus, Libby's lawyers sought communications between Massimo and Cooper to determine if Cooper conveyed to Massimo that Libby was a source as well for the information on Wilson's wife:

And I submit to Your Honor there is — as you can see, the credibility of Mr. Cooper with respect to his description that Mr. Libby confirmed M[s]. Plame's employment by the C. I. A. is going to be very much at issue in this case. And that is what cases are all about, and we should be entitled to anything that Mr. Cooper has said ro that others have said or done, such as Mr. Massimo talking to Mr. Wilson on the basis of what Cooper said. And that kind of information is directly relevant to the cross-examination, and we submit that it should be enforced. And certainly we have established specificity with respec to that. The other thing I would say is this is the first I have heard that Time has a document that refers to Ms. Plame. Now, perhaps, that's Mr. Copper's communication with Mr. Massimo, or perhaps it is Mr. Massimo's notes with Mr. Wilson. I don't know, but certainly if there is a document that does refer to Ms. Plame prior to July 14, we submit that that's relevant and should be produced as well. That's all I have on Time and Cooper, Your Honor. ^[53]

On May 26, 2006, Judge Walton ruled on the motion:

However, upon reviewing the documents presented to it, the Court discerns a slight alteration between the several drafts of the articles, which the defense could arguably use to impeach Cooper. This slight alteration between the drafts will permit the defendant to impeach Cooper, regardless of the substance of his trial testimony, because his trial testimony cannot be consistent with both versions. Thus, unlike Miller, whose documents appear internally consistent and thus will only be admissible if she testifies inconsistently with these documents, Cooper’s documents will undoubtedly be admissible. Because of the inevitability that Cooper will be a government witness at trial, this Court can fathom no reason to delay the production of these documents to the defendant, as they will undoubtedly be admissible for impeachment. ^[54]

For the reasons discussed above, this Court will grant reporter Judith Miller’s motion to quash, and grant in part and deny in part the remaining motions. Therefore, at the appropriate times as designated in this opinion, those documents subject to production must be produced to the defendant so that they can be used as impeachment or contradiction evidence during the trial. In addition, based on the facts of this case, this Court declines to recognize a First Amendment reporters’ privilege. And, the Court concludes that any common law reporters’ privilege that may exist has been overcome by the defendant.

Richard Armitage is confirmed to be primary source of leak

On August 29, 2006, Neil A. Lewis reported in The New York Times that Richard Armitage has been confirmed to be the first and primary source of the CIA leak investigation. Richard Armitage may refer to Richard Armitage (actor, English actor Richard Armitage (politician, American politician ^[55] On August 30, 2006, CNN reported that Armitage had been confirmed "by sources" as leaking Valerie Plame's role as a CIA operative in a "casual conversation" with Robert Novak. Robert David Sanders "Bob" Novak (born February 26, 1931) is a Conservative American political commentator syndicated columnist and journalist ^[56]

On September 6, 2006, The New York Times noted that in 2003, early in his investigation, Fitzgerald knew Armitage was the primary source of the leak. The Times raised questions as to why the investigation proceeded as long as it did. [29]

According to lawyers close to Libby, "the information about Mr. Armitage’s role may help Mr. Libby convince a jury that his actions were relatively inconsequential. "^[57]

Fitzgerald has issued no statement about Armitage's involvement.

The trial

The trial began on January 16, 2007.

Libby, who was questioned by the FBI in the fall of 2003 and testified before a Federal grand jury on March 5, 2004, and again on March 24, 2004, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " David Addington, Cheney's legal counsel during the CIA leak scandal, testified in January 2007 that Libby bluntly told him, "I just want to tell you, I didn't do it. "^[58]

Libby retains attorney Ted Wells of the firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison to represent him in the case. Ted Wells is a prominent criminal attorney A litigation partner at the New York law firm of Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP the National Law Journal has selected Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP is a Law firm headquartered on Sixth Avenue in New York City. Wells is known for successfully defending Clinton Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy against a 30-count indictment and participating in the successful defense of former Secretary of Labor Raymond Donovan. The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. Alphonso Michael Espy, usually called Mike Espy, (born November 30 1953 was a United States political figure "Secretary of Labor" redirects here See also Secretary of Labor (Mexico. Raymond James Donovan (born August 31, 1930) is a former United States Secretary of Labor.

On January 23, 2007, the Associated Press reported that Wells alleged "that administration officials sought to blame Libby for the leak to protect Bush political adviser Karl Rove's own disclosures. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio "^[59]

After Libby's motion to dismiss was denied, the press initially reported that he would testify at the trial. A legal motion is a procedural device in Law to bring a limited contested matter before a Court for decision ^[60] In February 2007, during the trial, however, numerous press reports stressed that whether or not he will testify was still uncertain, and, ultimately, he did not testify at trial.

The jury received the case for their deliberation on 21 February 2007. Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Verdict

After deliberating for ten days, the jury rendered its verdict at noon on March 6, 2007. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[61] It convicted Libby on four of the five counts against him — two counts of perjury, one count of obstructing justice in a grand jury investigation, and one of the two counts of making false statements to federal investigators — and acquitted him on one count of making false statements. ^[62] Given current federal sentencing guidelines, which are not mandatory, the convictions could result in a sentence ranging from no imprisonment to imprisonment of up to 25 years and a fine of one million US dollars. Given those non-binding guidelines, according to lawyer, author, New Yorker staff writer, and CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin on Anderson Cooper 360°, such a sentence could likely be between "one and a half to three years. The New Yorker is an American Magazine that publishes reportage commentary criticism essays fiction satire cartoons and poetry Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner Jeffrey Ross Toobin (born May 21, 1960 in New York City, New York) is a lawyer author television legal analyst and senior base ball analyst Anderson Cooper 360° (commonly shortened to either AC-360 or 360) is a two-hour television news show on CNN, the first hour usually "^[63] Sentencing is scheduled for June 2007. ^[64] His lawyers have announced their intention to seek a new trial and, if that attempt fails, to appeal Libby's conviction. ^[62]

Comment on the verdict by juror

As reported in CNN Newsroom, and subsequently on Larry King Live on CNN and by various other television networks, including MSNBC (on Scarborough Country), one juror — "Denis Collins, a Washington resident and self-described registered Democrat", who is a journalist and former reporter at The Washington Post and the author of a book on espionage and a novel — "said he and fellow jurors found that passing judgment on Libby was 'unpleasant. CNN Newsroom is an American news program on CNN/US. Broadcasting throughout the week Newsroom features live and taped news reports Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN. MSNBC is a 24-hour cable television news channel based in the United States and available in Canada. Scarborough Country was an opinion/analysis show broadcast on MSNBC Monday - Thursday at 9 P Denis Collins, an American journalist who has written for the Washington Post, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Miami Herald The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D ' But in the final analysis, he said jurors found Libby's story just too hard to believe. . . . 'We're not saying we didn't think Mr. Libby was guilty of the things we found him guilty of, but it seemed like . . . he was the fall guy'. . . . Collins said the jury believed Libby was 'tasked by the vice president to go and talk to reporters. '"^[65][66][67] Collins offers a day-by-day account of his experience as Juror #9 at the Libby trial in an "Exclusive" at The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post (often referred to on the Internet as HuffPo) is a liberal News Website and aggregated Weblog ^[68]

Press coverage of the trial

Main article: United States v. Libby#Press coverage of the trial

Blogs have played a prominent role in the press coverage of this trial. United States of America v I Lewis Libby also known as "Scooter Libby" (USA v A blog (a contraction of the term " Web log " is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary descriptions of Scott Shane, in his article "For Liberal Bloggers, Libby Trial Is Fun and Fodder", published in The New York Times on February 15, 2007, quotes Robert Cox, president of the Media Bloggers Association, who observes that United States of America v. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Media Bloggers Association ( MBA) is a United States membership-based non- partisan Voluntary association describing its activity as "supporting I. Lewis Libby is "the first federal case for which independent bloggers have been given official credentials along with reporters from the traditional news media. "^[69]

Karl Rove

On June 13, 2006, Robert Luskin released the following statement:

"On June 12, 2006, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald formally advised us that he does not anticipate seeking charges against Karl Rove. Robert D Luskin (born January 21, 1950) is an attorney and partner in the law firm of Patton Boggs LLP, specializing in White-collar crime and In deference to the pending case, we will not make any further public statements about the subject matter of the investigation. We believe that the Special Counsel's decision should put an end to the baseless speculation about Mr. Rove’s conduct. "^[70]

On June 14, 2006, Joe Wilson responded to Luskin's statement by stating that "this is a marathon. . . it's not over. " He referred other questions to a statement released by his lawyer, Christopher Wolf. In the statement, Wolf stated that "while it appears that Mr. Rove will not be called to answer in criminal court for his participation in the wrongful disclosure of Valerie Wilson's classified employment status at the CIA, that obviously does not end the matter. The day still may come when Mr. Rove and others are called to account in a court of law for their attacks on the Wilsons. "^[71]

Following the revelations in the Libby indictment, sixteen former CIA and military intelligence officials urged President Bush to suspend Karl Rove's security clearance for his part in outing CIA officer Valerie Plame. ^[72]

Media request CIA to unseal records

On 22 December 2006, the Associated Press reported that AP and Dow Jones, parent company of the Wall Street Journal, have requested a federal court to force the CIA to release testimony records. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The AP and Dow Jones allege that special prosecutor Fitzgerald never needed to subpoena the media's records, including those of the New York Times and Washington Post, because he knew the source of the leak all along. [30]

Criticism

Because the Justice Department is a part of the executive branch, some critics of the Bush Administration contend that the absence of rapid and effective action has been deliberate. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State.

General Paul E. Vallely has criticized Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald on FOX News for not contacting a number of people who publicly stated they knew of Plame's job at the CIA. This article is about the American soldier and military expert Patrick J Fitzgerald (born December 22, 1960) is an American attorney and the current United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois

"Many of us as private citizens really challenged the depth and the extensiveness of Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald because he never called in Joe Wilson or Valerie Plame, who was an analyst by the way, and that's documented, or any of the hierarchy of the CIA. And so to me that's an incomplete process and should probably be null and void. "^[73]

General Vallely has been criticized by some for allegedly lying about his part in the affair. Vallely has claimed that Joe Wilson informed him that his wife was a covert agent, but did not reveal this until more than two years after the fact, and a year and a half after the investigation had begun. For information about the American political scandal pertaining to Joseph C

An editorial in the Washington Post reads:

The special counsel was principally investigating whether any official violated a law that makes it a crime to knowingly disclose the identity of an undercover agent. The public record offers no indication that Mr. Libby or any other official deliberately exposed Ms. Plame to punish her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV. Rather, Mr. Libby and other officials, including Karl Rove, the White House deputy chief of staff, apparently were seeking to combat the sensational allegations of a critic. They may have believed that Ms. Plame's involvement was an important part of their story of why Mr. Wilson was sent to investigate claims that Iraq sought uranium ore from Niger, and why his subsequent — and mostly erroneous — allegations that the administration twisted that small part of the case against Saddam Hussein should not be credited. To criminalize such discussions between officials and reporters would run counter to the public interest. . . . That said, the charges Mr. Fitzgerald brought against Mr. Libby are not technicalities. According to the indictment, Mr. Libby lied to both the FBI and a grand jury. No responsible prosecutor would overlook a pattern of deceit like that alleged by Mr. Fitzgerald. The prosecutor was asked to investigate a serious question, and such obstructions are, as he said yesterday, like throwing sand in the umpire's face. In this case, they seem to have contributed to Mr. Fitzgerald's distressing decision to force a number of journalists to testify about conversations with a confidential source. Both Mr. Libby and Mr. Rove appear to have allowed the White House spokesman to put out false information about their involvement. ^[74]

John W. Dean, the former counsel to Richard Nixon, writes in an open letter to Patrick Fitzgerald:

In your post as Special Counsel, you now have nothing less than authority of the Attorney General of the United States, for purposes of the investigation and prosecution of "the alleged unauthorized disclosure of a CIA employee's identity. John Wesley Dean III (born October 14, 1938) was White House Counsel to U Patrick J Fitzgerald (born December 22, 1960) is an American attorney and the current United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement " (The employee, of course, is Valerie Plame Wilson, a CIA employee with classified status, and the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson. ) On December 30, 2003, you received a letter from the Deputy Attorney General regarding your powers. On February 6, 2004, you received a letter of further clarification, stating without reservation, that in this matter your powers are "plenary. " In effect, then, you act with the power of the Attorney General of the United States. In light of your broad powers, the limits and narrow focus of your investigation are surprising. On October 28 of this year, your office released a press statement in which you stated that "A major focus of the grand jury investigation was to determine which government officials had disclosed to the media prior to July 14, 2003, information concerning Valerie Wilson's CIA affiliation, and the nature, timing, extent, and purpose of such disclosures, as well as whether any official made such a disclosure knowing that Valerie Wilson's employment by the CIA was classified information. " Troubling, from an historical point of view, is the fact that the narrowness of your investigation, which apparently is focusing on the Intelligence Identities Protection Act (making it a crime to uncover the covert status of a CIA agent), plays right into the hands of perpetrators in the Administration. The Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982 () is a United States federal law that makes it a federal crime to intentionally reveal the identity of an agent whom one Indeed, this is exactly the plan that was employed during Watergate by those who sought to conceal the Nixon Administration's crimes, and keep criminals in office. The Watergate scandals were a series of Political scandals during the presidency of Richard Nixon that resulted in the Indictment of several of Nixon's The plan was to keep the investigation focused on the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters — and away from the atmosphere in which such an action was undertaken. The Democratic National Committee (DNC is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis Toward this end, I was directed by superiors to get the Department of Justice to keep its focus on the break-in, and nothing else. That was done. And had Congress not undertaken its own investigation (since it was a Democratically-controlled Congress with a Republican President) it is very likely that Watergate would have ended with the conviction of those caught in the bungled burglary and wiretapping attempt at the Democratic headquarters. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses ^[75]

Federal laws

Crimes

• Conspiracy
• Contempt
• Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982 (full text)
• Making false statements
• Obstruction
• Perjury
• Treason

Fitzgerald's position

• Special Counsel (under Department of Justice regulation 28 CFR Part 600)

Attorneys of record

Floyd Abrams represented Judith Miller

• Floyd Abrams — for Judith Miller, journalist at the New York Times. In the Criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between Natural persons to break the law at some time in the future and in some cases with at least one overt act Contempt of court is a court ruling which in the context of a court trial or hearing deems an individual as having been disrespectful of the court its process and its invested The Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982 () is a United States federal law that makes it a federal crime to intentionally reveal the identity of an agent whom one The crime of obstruction of justice includes crimes committed by Judges Prosecutors attorneys general, and elected officials in general Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under Oath or Affirmation in a In Law, treason is the Crime that covers some of the more serious acts of disloyalty to one's sovereign or Nation. A special prosecutor generally is a Lawyer from outside the Government appointed by an Attorney general or Congress to investigate a government For animal rights group see Justice Department (JD The United States Department of Justice ( DOJ) is a Cabinet department Floyd Abrams (born July 9 1936 is an American Attorney. He is an expert on Constitutional Law, and many arguments in the briefs he has written before Judith Miller may refer to Judith Miller (journalist, an American journalist Judith Miller (philosopher, a French philosopher Floyd Abrams (born July 9 1936 is an American Attorney. He is an expert on Constitutional Law, and many arguments in the briefs he has written before Judith Miller (born January 2, 1948) is an American journalist
• Robert S. Bennett — for Judith Miller, journalist at the New York Times. Robert S Bennett (born 1939 is an American attorney best known for representing President Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal Judith Miller (born January 2, 1948) is an American journalist
• Daniel French — for Adam Levine, former White House press office staffer. Daniel French may refer to Daniel French (inventor (1770 &ndash 1853 American inventor and steamboat pioneer Daniel Chester French Adam Levine (born on January 15 1969 is a media personality well-known as a White House deputy press secretary in President George W See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence
• James Hamilton — for Robert Novak, syndicated journalist and media person. James Hamilton can refer to several different persons Dukes James Hamilton 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606&ndash1649 heir to the throne of Scotland Robert David Sanders "Bob" Novak (born February 26, 1931) is a Conservative American political commentator syndicated columnist and journalist
• William Jeffress — for Lewis Libby, former Vice-President Chief of Staff. Irve Lewis "Scooter" Libby (born August 22 1950) is a former Assistant to the President of the United States, George W
• Don Kinsella — for Adam Levine, former White House press office staffer. Adam Levine (born on January 15 1969 is a media personality well-known as a White House deputy press secretary in President George W See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence
• Robert Luskin — for Karl Rove. Robert D Luskin (born January 21, 1950) is an attorney and partner in the law firm of Patton Boggs LLP, specializing in White-collar crime and Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) was Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W
• Terrence O'Donnell — for Vice President Dick Cheney
• James E. Sharp — for President George W. Bush. Terrence O'Donnell is a Justice of the Supreme Court of the U James E Sharp (born 1940 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a top criminal defense lawyer in Washington D George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States.
• Joseph Tate — for Lewis Libby, former Vice President Chief of Staff. Joseph Tate is an American Attorney who has represented Lewis Libby in the CIA leak grand jury investigation. Irve Lewis "Scooter" Libby (born August 22 1950) is a former Assistant to the President of the United States, George W
• Ted Wells — for Lewis Libby, former Vice-President Chief of Staff. Ted Wells is a prominent criminal attorney A litigation partner at the New York law firm of Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP the National Law Journal has selected Irve Lewis "Scooter" Libby (born August 22 1950) is a former Assistant to the President of the United States, George W
• Christopher Wolf — for Joseph Wilson and wife, Valerie Plame. Christopher Wolf (born Washington DC 1954 is an American attorney best known for his work in Internet and privacy law For information about the American political scandal pertaining to Joseph C Valerie Elise Plame Wilson (born 19 April 1963) known as Valerie Plame, Valerie E

Judges, special counsel attorneys, and courthouses

Judges

• Judge Thomas Hogan — Chief U. S. District Judge
• Judge Reggie Walton — U. Reggie B Walton (born Donora Pennsylvania, February 8, 1949) is a federal judge on the United States District Court for the District S. District Judge

Special Counsel Office Attorneys

• Patrick Fitzgerald, Special Counsel, U. Patrick J Fitzgerald (born December 22, 1960) is an American attorney and the current United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois
  • Debra Riggs Bonamici, Deputy Special Counsel, from US Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois
  • Kathleen Kedian, Deputy Special Counsel, from the U. S Department of Justice, Washington DC
  • James Fleissner, Deputy Special Counsel, Department of Justice (DOJ)
  • Ron Roos, Deputy Special Counsel, DoJ prosecutor — National Security Section. James P Fleissner (Jim is an American attorney and a Professor of Law at Mercer University School of Law in Macon Georgia.
  • Peter Zeidenberg, Deputy Special Counsel, DoJ prosecutor — Public Integrity Section. Peter R Zeidenberg is an American trial lawyer He has been an Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County Massachusetts an Assistant US Attorney in the District of Columbia and The Public Integrity Section is a section of the Criminal Division of the U

Courthouses

Prettyman Courthouse

Location of CIA leak grand jury

• E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse 333 Constitution Avenue, N. W. , Washington, D. C.

Pop culture

As of March 1, 2007, a feature film based on the lives of Valerie Plame and Joseph Wilson is under development at Warner Brothers. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and ^[76]

Another film closely paralleling the case is Nothing But the Truth, directed by Rod Lurie and starring Kate Beckinsale as a reporter who is imprisoned for revealing the identity of a CIA agent (played by Vera Farmiga), but not the sources of her information. Nothing But The Truth is an upcoming 2008 thriller written and directed by Rod Lurie. Rod Lurie (born May 15, 1962) is an Israeli- American director, Screenwriter and former Film critic. Kathryn Bailey "Kate" Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973 is an English actress, known for her roles in the films Pearl Harbor (2001 Vera Ann Farmiga (born August 6, 1973) is an American actress. The movie is currently scheduled for release on September 19, 2008. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Notes

See also

• Plame affair
• United States v. Libby

References

• Bush, George W.. The phrase Plame Affair (also known as the CIA leak scandal, the CIA leak case, the CIA leak grand jury investigation, and Plamegate) refers United States of America v I Lewis Libby also known as "Scooter Libby" (USA v George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. State of the Union Address. Online posting. Official website of The White House, January 28, 2003. See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.
• The New York Times, comp. Key Documents. New York Times. n. d. Accessed January 14, 2007. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• Novak, Robert. Robert David Sanders "Bob" Novak (born February 26, 1931) is a Conservative American political commentator syndicated columnist and journalist Robert Novak's column in the Chicago Sun Times (Index). The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily Newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. Accessed January 14, 2007. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• Report on the U.S. Intelligence Community's Prewar Intelligence Assessments on IraqPDF. Online posting. Official website of the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, July 7, 2004. The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (sometimes referred to as SSCI) is Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " [Outdated link. ] News archive link at iwar. org. uk: iraqreport2.pdfPDF (23. 4 MiB). A mebibyte (a contraction of me ga bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, abbreviated MiB. (521 pages. )
• Jordan, Sandra. "The Devil in the Details: The CIA Leak Case." Jurist (University of Pittsburgh School of Law), October 31, 2005. JURIST is an online legal news service hosted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, written by founder Professor Bernard Hibbitts and a staff of more than The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a non-sectarian coeducational independent state-related, "public" research University Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Accessed January 14, 2007. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• Waas, Murray. Murray S Waas (born circa 1961 is an American Freelance investigative journalist known most recently for his coverage of the White House planning "Online Exclusive: CIA Leak Probe: Inside The Grand Jury CIA Leak Case." National Journal, January 12, 2007. National Journal is a weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Accessed January 14, 2007. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• Wilson, Joseph C.. For information about the American political scandal pertaining to Joseph C "Administration Went After Me and My Wife." The Miami Herald, May 2, 2004. The Miami Herald is a daily Newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered in Downtown Miami Florida. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Rpt. in Common Dreams NewsCenter, May 2, 2004. Common Dreams NewsCenter, often referred to simply as Common Dreams is a popular U Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Accessed January 14, 2007. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

External links

• Background on the Plame Investigation at The Washington Post. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D

United States Courts

• Biography of Judge Thomas F. Hogan of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• United States Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel
• United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• United States District Court for the District of Columbia