NYT/Reuters: News Outlets Resist Scooter Libby Subpoenas

[DeepModem Mom]

News Outlets Resist Scooter Libby Subpoenas
By REUTERS
Published: April 18, 2006

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former White House aide fighting perjury charges should not get access to reporters' notes and other newsroom material because they have no relevance to his case, several news outlets told a U.S. judge on Tuesday.

The New York Times, NBC News and Time magazine also argued that press freedom would be damaged if they were forced to hand over the material sought by former vice presidential aide Lewis ''Scooter'' Libby's defense team.

Libby is charged with lying to investigators as they sought to determine who leaked the identity of a CIA official after her husband accused the Bush administration of manipulating intelligence to build its case for invading Iraq.

His defense team has subpoenaed four reporters and their employers in an effort to show that CIA operative Valerie Plame was widely known to be the wife of the administration critic, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, before her identity was made public by conservative columnist Robert Novak in July 2003.

The news organizations said on Tuesday that Libby does not have a right to material that goes beyond the conversations with reporters cited in his indictment....

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-bush-leak.html

[Kagemusha]

1. What enormously stupid wording.

The woman herself was indeed well known to be Joseph Wilson's wife. That she was also a CIA operative under her maiden name probably was not nearly as widely known. We've been over this so many times... *sigh*

[Beetwasher]

2. Libby's Fighting This Case As If He's Been Indicted for Outing Plame

He's been indicted for obstruction and perjury. I think he's bringing a knife to a gun fight.

[UpInArms]

3. related: Media Lawyers Oppose Libby Subpoenas

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-cia-leak,0,3857652.story

WASHINGTON // Lawyers for NBC News, The New York Times and Time Inc. accused a former White House aide Tuesday of threatening the integrity of their news gathering operations by seeking access to a wide range of documents in the CIA leak case.

The media lawyers, in separate filings, said I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, is on a "fishing expedition" with his request for documents from the news organizations.

They are asking U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton to block seven subpoenas seeking access to drafts of news articles, e-mails and notes generated by any and all of the news organizations' employees -- not just the three reporters involved in the case.

<snip>

NBC's lawyers said Russert does not have any documents that would show that Plame's CIA employment was known before Novak's column. They said Mitchell's records aren't relevant to the criminal case and are protected from release under the First Amendment.

<snip>

The New York Times lawyers also said Libby is improperly seeking documents pertaining to reporters and editors who will not be called as witnesses. Only Miller, who spent 85 days in jail last year refusing to testify about what Libby told her, is the only New York Times employee expected to testify for the prosecution, the newspaper's lawyers said.

...more...

[wordpix]

4. Media Outlets Challenge Libby Subpoenas: MSNBC

Libby's now trying to get Judy Miller's phone records and calendar as well as notes, emails or anything from any reporter who might have the "Plame" name in there, even if these references aren't germane to Libby's case. Greymail, indeed. At least now some media heavies will be siding with Fitz to stop this.

It appears Libby and Miller are going to be in a fight over her date book and phone calls!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12384696/

Judge in CIA leak case asked to block request from former Cheney aide

WASHINGTON - Lawyers for NBC News, The New York Times and Time Inc. accused a former White House aide Tuesday of threatening the integrity of their news-gathering operations by seeking access to a wide range of documents in the CIA leak case.

The media lawyers, in separate filings, said I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, is on a “fishing expedition” with his request for documents from the news organizations.

snip:
Lawyers for The New York Times depicted Libby as desperate in casting a “wide net” that he hopes will locate “a statement somewhere” that Plame’s role as a covert CIA operative was well known in Washington before Novak’s column.

snip:
Lawyers for Miller said Libby is improperly seeking access to her telephone records and calendar — “personal and sensitive professional references” that are completely unrelated to Libby or the CIA leak case.

[rodeodance]

5. libby is like a wet noodle--he is throwing out things to see what sticks.

[rodeodance]

6. wish the media would report this!--cable/dish!