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http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/fitzgeraldcialeakltr21005.pdfFebruary 10,2005
Mr. Patrick J. Fitzgerald
United States Attorney
US Attorney’s Office
219 S. Dearborn St.
Suite 5000
Chicago, IL 60656
Dear Mr. Fitzgerald:
We write to ask that you investigate the leak of a classified Central Intelligence Agency
memo containing the identity of undercover agent Valerie Plame to James D. Guckert, a member of the White House press corps. It appears that the White House was so focused on smearing the reputation of Ambassador Joseph Wilson, that it knowingly leaked his wife’s identity to a Republican activist posing as a journalist.
James D. Guckert, who operated under the false name “Jeff Gannon,” and may have
engaged in criminal activity, had been attending press events at the White House for up to three years. Mr. Guckert reportedly received an internal and classified CIA memo that revealed the identity of Ambassador Joseph Wilson’s wife. Because of the extremely sensitive nature of this leak, and its relation to the investigation you are conducting, we believe that you as special counsel are the most appropriate person to conduct the inquiry.
Under Department of Justice regulations, a special counsel should investigate when (1) a
“criminal investigation of a person or matter is warranted,” (2) the investigation “by a United States Attorney Office or litigating Division of the Department of Justice would present a conflict of interest for the Department,” and (3) “it would be in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to assume responsibility for the matter.“’ In the present case all three factors have been met.
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