Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Dem's look like idiots in the Plame case

MUST READ!!! MUST READ!!! MUST READ!!! MUST READ!!! MUST READ!!! MUST READ!!! MUST READ!!!
My Role in the Valerie Plame Leak Story

by Robert Novak
Posted Jul 12, 2006

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has informed my attorneys that, after two and one-half years, his investigation of the CIA leak case concerning matters directly relating to me has been concluded. That frees me to reveal my role in the federal inquiry that, at the request of Fitzgerald, I have kept secret.

I have cooperated in the investigation while trying to protect journalistic privileges under the First Amendment and shield sources who have not revealed themselves. I have been subpoenaed by and testified to a federal grand jury. Published reports that I took the Fifth Amendment, made a plea bargain with the prosecutors or was a prosecutorial target were all untrue.

For nearly the entire time of his investigation, Fitzgerald knew -- independent of me -- the identity of the sources I used in my column of July 14, 2003. A federal investigation was triggered when I reported that former Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, was employed by the CIA and helped initiate his 2002 mission to Niger. That Fitzgerald did not indict any of these sources may indicate his conclusion that none of them violated the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

Some journalists have badgered me to disclose my role in the case, even demanding I reveal my sources -- identified in the column as two senior Bush administration officials and an unspecified CIA source. I have promised to discuss my role in the investigation when permitted by the prosecution, and I do so now.

The news broke Sept. 26, 2003, that the Justice Department was investigating the CIA leak case. I contacted my longtime attorney, Lester Hyman, who brought his partner at Swidler Berlin, James Hamilton, into the case. Hamilton urged me not to comment publicly on the case, and I have followed that advice for the most part.

The FBI soon asked to interview me, prompting my first major decision. My attorneys advised me that I had no certain constitutional basis to refuse cooperation if subpoenaed by a grand jury. To do so would make me subject to imprisonment and inevitably result in court decisions that would diminish press freedom, all at heavy personal legal costs.

I was interrogated at the Swidler Berlin offices Oct. 7, 2003, by an FBI inspector and two agents. I had not identified my sources to my attorneys, and I told them I would not reveal them to the FBI. I did disclose how Valerie Wilson's role was reported to me, but the FBI did not press me to disclose my sources.

On Dec. 30, 2003, the Justice Department named Fitzgerald as special prosecutor. An appointment was made for Fitzgerald to interview me at Swidler Berlin on Jan. 14, 2004. The problem facing me was that the special prosecutor had obtained signed waivers from every official who might have given me information about Wilson's wife.

That created a dilemma. I did not believe blanket waivers in any way relieved me of my journalistic responsibility to protect a source. Hamilton told me that I was sure to lose a case in the courts at great expense. Nevertheless, I still felt I could not reveal their names.

However, on Jan. 12, two days before my meeting with Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor informed Hamilton that he would be bringing to the Swidler Berlin offices only two waivers. One was by my principal source in the Valerie Wilson column, a source whose name has not yet been revealed. The other was by presidential adviser Karl Rove, whom I interpret as confirming my primary source's information. In other words, the special prosecutor knew the names of my sources.

When Fitzgerald arrived, he had a third waiver in hand -- from Bill Harlow, the CIA public information officer who was my CIA source for the column confirming Mrs. Wilson's identity. I answered questions using the names of Rove, Harlow and my primary source.

I had a second session with Fitzgerald at Swidler Berlin on Feb. 5, 2004, after which I was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury. I testified there at the U.S. courthouse in Washington on Feb. 25.

In these four appearances with federal authorities, I declined to answer when the questioning touched on matters beyond the CIA leak case. Neither the FBI nor the special prosecutor pressed me.

I have revealed Rove's name because his attorney has divulged the substance of our conversation, though in a form different from my recollection. I have revealed Harlow's name because he has publicly disclosed his version of our conversation, which also differs from my recollection. My primary source has not come forward to identify himself.

When I testified before the grand jury, I was permitted to read a statement that I had written expressing my discomfort at disclosing confidential conversations with news sources. It should be remembered that the special prosecutor knew their identities and did not learn them from me.

In my sworn testimony, I said what I have contended in my columns and on television: Joe Wilson's wife's role in instituting her husband's mission was revealed to me in the middle of a long interview with an official who I have previously said was not a political gunslinger. After the federal investigation was announced, he told me through a third party that the disclosure was inadvertent on his part.

Following my interview with the primary source, I sought out the second administration official and the CIA spokesman for confirmation. I learned Valerie Plame's name from Joe Wilson's entry in "Who's Who in America."
I considered his wife's role in initiating Wilson's mission, later confirmed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, to be a previously undisclosed part of an important news story. I reported it on that basis.

The Left bashed Rove and Bush for 3 years about this....this was the "culture of corruption"
ONCE AGAIN, the Left has no clue, and it is shown that every time they yell and scream, every time they PRETEND to be mad...it is ALL based on two things: getting back power, and undermining the President of the United States....THAT IS IT.

No one broke any law. NO ONE EVER said the name Valerie Plame or Wison, NO ONE....except JOE WILSON....that is who he found out the information from....Rove didn't say it NO ONE did...But the Left was so outraged that this "leak" was made...

I never understood this story. I KNEW it was always about NOTHING...now it is proven...

And why does the Left care so much about this leak, the "leak" of a woman's name that was NEVER said, and a person that was not really undercover if all you had to do was look up her name....

So, they care about THIS leak that does not matter, but they are in love with leaks that ruin vital programs of the United States government used in the war on terror....

Where are all the investigations on this leak??? Oh, wait, the MSM only cares about it if it hurts Bush...
So, another story, another issue that the Left yelled at to the point of needed new bottles of medication is a NON-STORY....You should all write letters to Rove telling him you are sorry.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just because the Bush administration didn't give her name doesn't mean that they didn't out her. Read the statement again. Novak was told that Wilson's wife was in the CIA. That is the leak.

Nice try at spin, Karl Rove would be proud.

Jay Bullock said...

You may want to revise your thesis. I do believe that Scooter Libby (allegedly) broke the law when he lied, repeatedly, to the FBI.

Anonymous said...

Good point jay. Game, here, has an issue with only seeing the half of the story that backs up the talking points he hears on Faux News(the spiiiiiiiin, starts here). Cuz game, it says right in this article that Rove DID tell the reporter the name. Use of the word 'verified' is what you are looking for.

The Game said...

Okay...before we can even debate the facts about the CIA case...
you have to tell me why you are so upset about the Plame case, but have no problem with the leaking of vital anti-terrorism programs

Jim said...

My comments can be read at According to My Sources.

jhbowden said...

Game, you see, anything that hurts Bush is good, and anything that helps America is bad.

You'll never discover a reason for this because there isn't any.

The Game said...

Responding to Jim's non-sense:

Where are the facts that the bank tracking program was illegal? Show me ONE case of an American's rights being taken away because of the anti-terrorism measures..
All that is happened in that case is that we have had no more terrorism here...obviously with people like you in charge we would have, because you are supposedly more worried about some political hack that was so classified that Robert Novak easily knew who she was...
The Left spent three years yelling that it was Karl Rove who outed Plame...Novak has said that is not true, and you have not yet apologized...
I am not sure what danger she would have been in since everyone in her community knew who she was, she worked in an office, she wasn't doing anything dangerous for the CIA....this is a NON STORY....
Now, trying to hurt this COUNTRY and the war on terror is a big story...
Don't you understand how people with common sense and intelligence see the difference...
They see how unimportant the Plame leak is, and they are very pissed about helping terrorist blow this country up...
It is so easy to see, but of course not for someone with the mental disorder called liberalism

Anonymous said...

Who is paying attention to how the Dem look?

Jim said...

Game cross-posted HIS nonsense on my site, According To My Sources. My response is there.

The Game said...

not going there now...

Anonymous said...

But, as you Cons are so aggressive in bringing up, Rove Did Out Her. It flat out says so in the article.

Jim said...

Yes, Rhyno it does say so. But that doesn't mean it REALLY says so. It really only says so if it matches the con mindset.

So it may say so, but that's beside the point. Indisputable facts are apparently meaningless. I guess.

For instance, I have cited TWICE now from the OFFICIAL Press Release by Patrick Fitzgerald, the Independent Counsel, from his October 25, 2005 presentation of the case:

"Prior to July 14, 2003, Valerie Wilson's employment status was classified. Prior to that date, her affiliation with the CIA was not common knowledge outside the intelligence community."

Game can read this and then say that Plame's status wasn't classified and that everybody, neighbors and friends, knew she was a covert CIA operative.

I'm at a loss to explain that. Any thoughts, rhyno?