LAT: "...an indictment for exposing Plame now seems unlikely"

[Rose Siding]

In its coverage of "Reporters Await Fallout of Not Naming Sources"...

snip>
Lawyers who have closely watched Fitzgerald's investigation said they thought the Republican prosecutor appeared to be bending over backward to show he was thoroughly exploring potentially illegal leaks by a Republican White House. But an indictment for exposing Plame now seems unlikely, they said, because her identity was already known in Washington and because it would be difficult to prove an intent to harm U.S. intelligence.

Legal experts said it seemed more likely that Fitzgerald would seek perjury or obstruction of justice charges....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-sources26jun26,0,2850709,print.story

That's not even the worst news! Worse, there's a chance that essential press freedoms will be contorted into a vehicle for the govt to manipulate the public.

[hlthe2b]

1. "HER identity?!!!!!!!"

Isn't that NEW?

[DU9598]

3. Her = Plame n/t

[hlthe2b]

5. yes... I didn't read closely...

you are right.

[kittenpants]

2. why are they "potentially illegal leaks"?

it seems to me that leaking a CIA agents identity to the press is w/o question illegal & treasonous.

[sam sarrha]

4. But he did Deliberately HARM.. and endanger after being told NOT TO

:wtf: That needed an INDEPENDANT INVESTIGATOR> not a F'n Lacky

[realFedUp]

6. Miller would not ask her sources to waive their anonymity.

snip from LA Times story:

Several prominent journalists who worked on the Plame story received subpoenas. A few — such as Walter Pincus of the Washington Post and Tim Russert of NBC — avoided the possibility of jail when their sources agreed the journalists no longer had to keep their identities secret. It remains a mystery whether Novak had to testify. He has declined to comment.

Miller would not ask her sources to waive their anonymity. She said intelligence officials might feel coerced into admitting they had talked to a reporter. Cooper initially answered the prosecutor's questions, with the agreement of one of his sources, but the reporter declined to answer when Fitzgerald came back for more information.

As a result, U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan cited Miller — who never wrote about the Plame case — and Cooper for contempt. Hogan's action has been upheld by two appellate panels, leading to the Supreme Court appeal.

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