LAT: Why Fitzgerald, knowing about Armitage, kept investigating

[DeepModem Mom]

Obvious Question in Plame Case Had Early Answer
The public fixated on Robert Novak's source. The prosecution probed other leaks and crimes.
By Tom Hamburger and Richard T. Cooper, Times Staff Writers
September 9, 2006

....the information on Armitage — first revealed in a new book — along with court filings and interviews with former White House staffers and others familiar with the inquiry, suggest Fitzgerald pressed ahead because he learned quickly that Armitage was not alone in discussing Plame with reporters. Top White House officials had talked about her as well....

***

As Fitzgerald examined the evidence, he seems to have concluded that some White House officials might not have been forthcoming to investigators about their conversations with reporters. That raised the possibility of a cover-up.

Intentionally leaking classified information or the name of an undercover intelligence agent is a federal crime, though the legal definition of "intent" remains murky. Making false or misleading statements to FBI or other federal investigators, or to a grand jury, can also be a crime.

In early February 2004, barely a month into his tenure, Fitzgerald sought and received a letter from his Justice Department boss stating that — in addition to probing the leaks — he was authorized to pursue possible obstruction of justice and related crimes....While the public focused on Novak, investigators were asking about Matt Cooper's sources....Cooper has since acknowledged that his primary source was Rove, with Libby also talking to him. Libby, the only person charged in the case, has pleaded not guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice.

According to Cooper, neither Rove nor Libby mentioned Plame by name. Nor did they mention her covert status, though Rove indicated she worked on WMD at "the Agency" and was responsible for her husband's trip. Spokesmen for both Libby and Rove pointed out that neither official initiated the conversations with Cooper....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-plame9sep09,0,5023651.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Maybe Fitz will find that Bush got an illicit blow job

Now that would be Poetic Justice, writ large -- or, in the case of Bush, not-so-large.

--p!

[rfranklin]

5. He did...from Jeff Gannon...

while they were wearing their tough guy camo outfits.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. That's why Armitage coming forward now

doesn't really change anything in regards to the ongoing investigation.

[H2O Man]

3. Nominated.

This is a pretty good article. It explains, in general terms, why the FBI continued their investigation even after they knew about Armitage. Two months later, the amount of evidence they found caused A.G. Ashcroft to recuse himself, and that his when Comey appointed Mr. Fitzgerald.

[DemReadingDU]

4. Leopold: Armitage Shmarmitage

Armitage Shmarmitage
By Jason Leopold
t r u t h o u t | Report

Friday 08 September 2006

In April, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald filed a court document in the CIA leak case claiming his staff had obtained evidence during the course of the three-year-old probe that proves "multiple" White House officials were engaged in a coordinated effort to discredit former ambassador Joseph Wilson.

Those officials, Fitzgerald said, eventually disclosed Wilson's wife's covert CIA status to the media as retribution for his public criticism of the Bush administration's use of pre-war Iraq intelligence.

But the mainstream media has chosen to ignore those facts now that former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage broke his silence Thursday and admitted that he told syndicated columnist Robert Novak and Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward that Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, worked for the CIA.

According to these mainstream publications, Armitage's mea culpa proves there wasn't a White House campaign to discredit Wilson or unmask his wife's identity.

Oh really?

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/090806R.shtml

[sattahipdeep]

10. Elliot Abrams_Richard Armitage

"As a result of defendant's request, on October 4, 2003, White
House Press Secretary McClellan stated that he had spoken to
Mr. Libby (as well as Mr. Rove and Elliot Abrams) and 'those individuals
assured me that they were not involved in this,'" Fitzgerald
said in the April 5 court filing.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/090806R.shtml

"If we understand the mechanism and
motives of the group mind, it is now
possible to control and regiment the
masses according to our will without
their knowing it."

Elliot Abrams - Convicted of lying to Congress about the Iran-Contra affair.

Richard Armitage - Linked to illegal arms transfers and CIA drug-running operations.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/02/03/29_lies.html

[DemReadingDU]

12. interesting article, thank you for sharing, more...

Scandals and Lies
March 29, 2002
By Bridget Gibson

When is a scandal not a scandal? When a scandal appears to be connected with a member of the Republican Party, it is not reported as a "scandal." Only when a member of the Democratic Party has involvement in anything that broaches the questionable grey area is something "determined" to be a "scandal."
.
.
.
They do not want you to remember Republican "scandals." It makes it easier to demonize Democrats. They do not want you to look around. They do not want you to question their version of the news. There are only Democrat "scandals". You can recite them as easily as you can recite the Pledge of Allegiance: Whitewater. The Blue Dress. Chandra Levy. Chappaquiddick. You know the drill.

As citizens of this once great country, we must demand the truth from our media. We must demand the truth from our politicians. We must demand our country back. Each of us, you and I, has that power and the right to make these demands. Call your local television station. Write your representatives. Our voices must be heard. And we must hear the truth.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/02/03/29_lies.html

[patricia92243]

6. So, has Armitage been arrested? If not, why not? n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. I don't know about the arrest, however, the fact that he's known

as a shameless gossip should be reason enough to fire the son of a bitch. Since when do you allow someone with loose lips stay in a job that requires discretion and secrecy? Unless his role is to leak sensitive information and get away with an "oopsy!"

[Recursion]

8. Sigh... he's not "known as a shameless gossip"

At least not inside the Beltway. They're saying he is now, but nobody has heard of that before.

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. Yes, but, but the media told me so. They wouldn't lie to me.

If you look at my posts when this story broke, you'll see that I have the same level of cynicism as you.

[H2O Man]

18. Actually

the "shameless gossip" business goes back to Iran-Contra. It was a self-description from that time which helped him avoid being indicted. You are correct, though, that it is not accurate.

[Felinity]

9. You believe he's a gossip?

GMAB. Such a coincidence. Of all the CIA agents in the world, he just happens to bring up that little tidbit of classified information on the same day as Libby drops his "bon mot"?

Gossip my ASS! Nice cover when you need it, and the MSM swallowed that bull whole.

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. No. I think it's too convenient.

But assuming they are telling the truth, why did he keep his supersecret double probation job?

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Actually, Armitage resigned from the State Dept. when Powell resigned. nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. One wonders if they left for the same reasons?

[LaPera]

13. "might not have been forthcoming" Don't you hate when they use that word?

It's called fucking LYING....Hiding the facts....laying the blame on someone else....cheating, bullshitting, deceiving bastards...

Anything, but not "forthcoming"!

[kestrel91316]

17. Could be that Fitz sees that there is "What Armitage Says" and then there

is "The Truth" and that he wants to make damned sure they are one and the same, and does not accept it at face value.