Libby Resigns; Rove Future Uncertain (update2)
Friday October 28, 2005
Updated at 2.15 pm PDT
In outlining the case against VP chief of staff I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said this afternoon that in 2003, Valerie Plame was a CIA officer, a "classified" status.
Today's indictment against Libby lays to rest one of the arguments that no crime could have occurred because Valerie Plame was not a covert agent of the CIA. The indictment states that Valerie Plame Wilson was a "classified" employee of the CIA at the time of the leak of her identity to the press in 2003. Moreover, "Wilson's affiliation with the CIA was not common knowledge outside the intelligence community."
Whereas Libby resigned this morning,he may be only the first casualty in this scandal. During this afternoon's press conference in Washington, DC, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said that the investigation "is not over" and refused to elaborate. The Financial Times reports that Fitzgerald told lawyers representing presidential advisor Karl Rove that he "had made no decision about whether or not to bring charges" against Rove.
If convicted on all counts, the maximum penalty would be 30 years in prision and $1.25 million in fines. Grand jury indictments are made when the jury believes it is probable that a crime has been committed; those indicted are presumed innocent until convicted in a jury trial.
The indictment, in a timeline narrative, shows that Libby knew of Plame's connection to the CIA before he spoke with any reporter and that he lied repeatedly about this knowledge, beginning in October and November of 2003 as he was interviewed by the FBI and continuing while under oath before the Grand Jury.
Fitzgerald detailed the five indictments against Libby (false statements, obstruction of justice and perjury) at the press conference and on the web. The 22-page indictment carries no charge of a deliberate attempt to leak a covert agent's name, however it details Libby's security clearance and his obligation "not to disclose classified information to person not authorized to receive such information, and otherwise to exercise proper care to safeguard classified information against unauthorized disclosure."
The Post reports that Plame may resign after 20 years with the CIA because her career has been "derailed" by actions of this White House.
Blogs covering this story
US Liberals guide Deborah White positions this indictment alongside troubled Congressmen DeLay and Frist, as well as yesterday's indictment of Thomas Noe, Chairman of President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign in northwest Ohio, and October's indictment of David H. Safavian, the top procurement official for President Bush.
TPM continues coverage of the investigation into the forged documents that originated in Italy and which allowed the White House to bypass internal objections to claiming a connection between Iraq, Niger and uranium.
See Plame Timeline, Nigerian Yellowcake : Fact and Fiction, What is a Grand Jury? ; prior coverage.
Technorati Tags and Profile
Cheney, Iraq, Scooter Libby, Valerie Plame, Politics
In outlining the case against VP chief of staff I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said this afternoon that in 2003, Valerie Plame was a CIA officer, a "classified" status.
The fact that she was a CIA officer was not well-known, for her protection or for the benefit of all us. It's important that a CIA officer's identity be protected, that it be protected not just for the officer, but for the nation's security...Updated at 1.05 pm PDT
It was known that a CIA officer's identity was blown, it was known that there was a leak. We needed to figure out how that happened, who did it, why, whether a crime was committed, whether we could prove it, whether we should prove it.
And, given that national security was at stake, it was especially important that we find out accurate facts.
Today's indictment against Libby lays to rest one of the arguments that no crime could have occurred because Valerie Plame was not a covert agent of the CIA. The indictment states that Valerie Plame Wilson was a "classified" employee of the CIA at the time of the leak of her identity to the press in 2003. Moreover, "Wilson's affiliation with the CIA was not common knowledge outside the intelligence community."
Whereas Libby resigned this morning,he may be only the first casualty in this scandal. During this afternoon's press conference in Washington, DC, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said that the investigation "is not over" and refused to elaborate. The Financial Times reports that Fitzgerald told lawyers representing presidential advisor Karl Rove that he "had made no decision about whether or not to bring charges" against Rove.
If convicted on all counts, the maximum penalty would be 30 years in prision and $1.25 million in fines. Grand jury indictments are made when the jury believes it is probable that a crime has been committed; those indicted are presumed innocent until convicted in a jury trial.
The indictment, in a timeline narrative, shows that Libby knew of Plame's connection to the CIA before he spoke with any reporter and that he lied repeatedly about this knowledge, beginning in October and November of 2003 as he was interviewed by the FBI and continuing while under oath before the Grand Jury.
Fitzgerald detailed the five indictments against Libby (false statements, obstruction of justice and perjury) at the press conference and on the web. The 22-page indictment carries no charge of a deliberate attempt to leak a covert agent's name, however it details Libby's security clearance and his obligation "not to disclose classified information to person not authorized to receive such information, and otherwise to exercise proper care to safeguard classified information against unauthorized disclosure."
The Post reports that Plame may resign after 20 years with the CIA because her career has been "derailed" by actions of this White House.
Blogs covering this story
US Liberals guide Deborah White positions this indictment alongside troubled Congressmen DeLay and Frist, as well as yesterday's indictment of Thomas Noe, Chairman of President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign in northwest Ohio, and October's indictment of David H. Safavian, the top procurement official for President Bush.
TPM continues coverage of the investigation into the forged documents that originated in Italy and which allowed the White House to bypass internal objections to claiming a connection between Iraq, Niger and uranium.
See Plame Timeline, Nigerian Yellowcake : Fact and Fiction, What is a Grand Jury? ; prior coverage.
Technorati Tags and Profile
Cheney, Iraq, Scooter Libby, Valerie Plame, Politics