Julian Borger: Bush Aide accused of Leak - not a repeat!!

[Nancy Waterman]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1053191,00.html

This is not a repeat thread. There is new info in it that is important!
The other thread is from atrios and contains an audio, this is an article!!

President Bush's closest political adviser, Karl Rove, was yesterday at the centre of a criminal investigation into allegations that he leaked the name of a CIA agent in an attempt to suppress criticism of the administration's Iraq policy, in what is fast becoming the administration's worst scandal since coming to office.

The White House fended off calls for an independent inquiry but urged its staff yesterday to cooperate with a justice department investigation.

Over the next few days, FBI agents will question Washington journalists and administration officials about claims that Mr Rove and others in the White House deliberately blew the cover of Valerie Plame, a CIA expert on weapons of mass destruction.

<snip>

Mr Novak and the other journalists involved have refused to name their sources. Their lawyers are expected to claim protection from the law under the first amendment of the constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech.

But a 1972 supreme court ruling, Branzburg v Hayes, states "the first amendment does not relieve a newspaper reporter of the obligation that all citizens have to respond to a grand jury subpoena and answer questions relevant to a criminal investigation".

[alcuno]

1. On Capitol Report tonight, Joe Wilson said that a reporter

told him that Karl Rove said, "Wilson's wife is fair game."

[PaDUer]

3. check this

http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/movable_type/2003_archives/002356.html

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/TheNote/TheNote.html

[young_at_heart]

16. This really digs deep

If even some of this is accurate, then the Bush Administration has a lot to account for.

[goforit]

31. Hmmm.....great stuff! I have a question on George Tennet. Did he really

take a pop shot at Wilson a week ago?(ABC article)

Where does Tennet stand on this issue?

He has always been a confusing character to me.

[FauxNewsBlues]

2. Reading this article carefully

It appears that Rove protected himself. He let his people know that Plame was fair game, but he didn't mention her by name to reporters himself.

This would make Wilson's view correct. Rove definately condoned, encouraged the leaks, but was careful about staying on the legal side of things barely.

[w4rma]

6. I'm positive this can not be legal. There is no difference between saying

Ms. Plame is a CIA agent.
and
Mr. Wilson's wife is a CIA agent.

According to some accounts, Mr Rove, did not mention Ms Plame by name but referred to "Wilson's wife" being a CIA employee.

[FauxNewsBlues]

9. Not legal but...

Unless Karl Rove mentioned her maiden name, and mentioned that she was undercover, he can skate on the 10 year charge, but probably be convicted of something less.

Part of the burden in these cases, is actually proving for sure that Rove actually knew where she worked in the CIA. He probably did, but there actually is a chance he fucked up. He might have thought she was some middling pencil pusher when he leaked her out generally, and didn't realize how big of an idiot he was by doing so.

[ModerateMiddle]

18. Particularly considering that

Joseph Wilso's wife is named in bios about him as a diplomat.

http://www.mideasti.org/html/bio-wilson.html

(edited to add link)

[Guaranteed]

20. n/m

Edited for stupidity.

[On the Road]

35. I Think the Emphasis is on "Employee"

According to some accounts, Mr Rove, did not mention Ms Plame by name but referred to "Wilson's wife" being a CIA employee.

I don't think it's illegal under the 1982 law to "out" any CIA employee, just undercover operatives. Now, having said that, she WAS an undercover operative, or had been, even if Rove only said "employee".

Sounds like there's some legal hairspitting to be done. The administration is going to be parsing a lot of words in the near future.

[JPace]

8. Charles Manson didn't kill Sharon Tate...

or any of the others his group did in, but it
did not save him from prison.....where his
dwells to this day.

[truthisfreedom]

10. maybe Rove screwed himself anyway. here's the actual law:

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casecode/uscodes/50/chapters/15/subchapters/iv/sections/section_421.html

"Disclosure of information by persons having or having had
access to classified information that identifies covert agent

Whoever, having or having had authorized access to classified
information that identifies a covert agent, intentionally discloses
any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not
authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the
information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the
United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert
agent's intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be
fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or
both."


the law doesn't say that the covert agent has to be named... just identified.

[NoKingGeorge]

27. Access to classified information? Rove ?

I do not think rOve would have access to such classified information. Who gave him the secret information? Is that person known to CIA?

[TahitiNut]

33. Rove undoubtedly has security clearance.

50USC421 distinguishes between people having authorized access to classified information that includes the identity of covert agents ... and those who obtain such information and have authorized access to (other) classified information.

[TacticalPeek]

34. "Clearance"? Up to a point, sure.

But I would love to hear his advocate try to argue KKKarl's "need to know", a necessary condition for sanctioned access to any classified material.

"It is vital to national security that our holy, annointed president remain in office to defend us from terra, at least until the coming of the final days, and my client was simply doing his humble part in our glorious crusade."

[snippy]

23. That would make Turd Blossom Rove part of a criminal conspiracy.

I think the entire Wilson affair is just one part of a larger criminal conspiracy entered into by the participants in the White House Iraq Group to market and defend the invasion of Iraq.

[MoonAndSun]

4. thanks for the link, Nancy

:hi:

this is good stuff!

[Cha]

5. Thanks, Nancy!

I hope that "1972 supreme court ruling" gets novak to spill the beans.

[NoKingGeorge]

28. Things have changed after 911. No supenas,no lawyers.

According to assman,nofacts can be hauled off and questioned without a lawyer for as long as assman wants.

[maggrwaggr]

7. what's weird to me

is that this administration has taken this country into a preemptive war for which they have lied about the causes, have been caught lying outright, have killed thousands and thousands of people, including hundreds of our own soldiers, have fattened the coffers of their friends through their abuse of power, yet ....

THIS is the "most scandalous" thing they've done so far.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they're getting busted for something, it shows that what goes round comes round, but MAN it fucking pisses me off that they aren't all hanging from lampposts for their crimes against the nation, and against humanity.

[Nancy Waterman]

11. All those other crimes can be put under a smokescreen

They can all be camoulflaged by "National Security". The outing of the WMD CIA agent clearly harms national security. It is an interesting twist.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

12. Well....

it took simple tax evasion to finally put Capone behind bars.

Just so long as you get there, HOW you get there isn't all too important at the end. :)

[DrBB]

14. Yes--excellent analogy n/t

[Unknown Known]

15. Agreed. And IMO the media bears much of the blame for this

As far as I'm concerned, the media are "accessories to the crime" at the least for covering up for these lying, criminal bastards.

Most Americans still do NOT KNOW ANYTHING about how much power the neocons have in our foreign policy - that a bunch of civilian pseudo-intellectuals are running the Pentagon right now and sending a generation to die in Iraq.

[Maine-i-acs]

13. Rove will escape eventually ...

As GW is leaving the White House, he will issue a few Executive Pardons ...

[Mechatanketra]

17. This is going to be an interesting precedent ...

If the Good Ship Bush'n'Pop continues to spring leaks (metaphorically speaking, no pun intended), Bush could well go out of office in as bizarrely infuriating a way as he came in.

We know how shameless (literally without the capacity to feel shame) this administration is. I do not put it past GWB, if things really start flying off the handle in a legal sense, to be the first President in history to pardon himself (or try to).

You know he'd do it. And you know every Republican politician and conservative pundit in the country would sagely advise us that this was the founder's intent all along, of course, or else it would say he can't pardon himself in the Constitution. (This is, of course, why it was so direly important to impeach Clinton for even the hint of wrongdoing in office -- they just couldn't take chances, you see, and impeachment is the only offense excepted by the pardon clause).

[Kat 333]

19. Nope

Not for outing a CIA operative he won't. He'll have a direct link to Jesus by then (due to all the prayers for his name not to come up) and will, at that point, IF he is able to swing it to that point - just be thanking him Over and Over and over ...

[havocmom]

30. Do you think the spooks will accept Executive Pardon for this one?

Am doubtful about that myself.

[muriel_volestrangler]

21. Novak's squirming won't work

From The Guardian article:
"Mr Novak claimed he was told by CIA officials that Ms Plame was an analyst, not a covert operative."
And yet his piece says "Wilson never worked for the CIA, but his wife, Valerie Plame, is an Agency operative on weapons of mass destruction."
So is his defence that he lied in his article? Anyway, as everyone else has pointed out, the CIA wouldn't have asked for an investigation if there was such an easy way out, and they know better than anyone her exact status.

[robbedvoter]

22. How long before: "I never knew this man, Karl Rove?"

They can't stop this now. Wilson said on Nightline he'll name the journalists. It's a criminal investigation... Will we see videos from Karl made in the cave: "I'm gonna get ya - and your little dog too?"next?

[goforit]

32. Yah Videos of Karl's cave with Ossam Bin Ladin holding his hand.

Those two can now pal around and do their dirty work through
Videos from the DARK side.

[GreenGreenLimaBean]

24. I hope they don't catch the Felon

Here's why. If he/she/them are caught, bush* will claim the system
works and he has a clean administration.

If they are not caught, then Dems can claim a vote for bush* will keep
unknown Felons working in the WhiteHouse. I can't see how this will
lose. Also, Asscroft's justice department will appear to be either
incompetent(which they are), or protecting someone. Either way,
it will be damning to have Felon(s) working in the WH during the
election. Just picture bush* in a debate after Wes Clark(or Dean)
points out that bush* is working beside criminals but didn't do a
damn thing to find out their identity.

[Mari333]

25. NOVack is trying very hard to cover his arse today

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/rn20031001.shtml

[CounterCoulter]

26. We'll do ya one better Bobby

We're going to get,with our "massive political assault," that which eluded Newt Gin-Grinch--a conviction in the Senate.

[Nottingham]

29. Novak is a Liar! and a Puppet for the right!

He is decayed matter and the more teeth that pop out the better!

:bounce: