Cheney to be defense witness in CIA leak case

Breitbart.com from Drudge ^ | December 19, 2006 | Matt Apuzzo

[seanmerc]

Cheney to Be Defense Witness in CIA Case Dec 19 2:54 PM US/Eastern

By MATT APUZZO Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON

Vice President Dick Cheney will be called as a defense witness in the CIA leak case, an attorney for Cheney's former chief of staff told a federal judge Tuesday. "We're calling the vice president," attorney Ted Wells said in court. Wells represents defendant I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who is charged with perjury and obstruction.

Early last week, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said he did not expect the White House to resist if Cheney or other administration officials are called to testify in Libby's trial, expected to begin in January.

Libby is accused of lying to investigators about what he told reporters regarding former CIA operative Valerie Plame. Plame's identity was leaked to reporters around the time that her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, publicly criticized the Bush administration's prewar intelligence on Iraq.

In addition to Cheney, other government officials and journalists are expected to be key witnesses in the trial, which is scheduled to start next month.

Former New York Times reporter Judith Miller and NBC News Washington bureau chief Tim Russert are expected to be prosecution witnesses. Libby's lawyers said in court papers that several reporters will testify on Libby's behalf.

Two unidentified reporters may resist testifying, Libby's attorneys said, but they expect to resolve that issue before trial.

Libby also has sought a subpoena for the tape of Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward's interview with former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. Armitage has admitted he discussed Plame's job with Woodward in 2003 but said it was a passing, inadvertent comment.

If admitted into evidence, the tape could be played at trial. The tape has been turned over to prosecutors, and Libby's attorneys said they expect no objection to their subpoena.

[Howlin]

Scooter Ping!!!

[Keith in Iowa]

They'll claim Executive and or National Security privilege to try and quash the subpoena.

[Howlin]

I wish they wouldn't.

We need something "fun" to do in the winter, don't we? :-)

[Always Right]

Next to the Duke Rape case, this has got to be the stupidest case the courts are wasting their time on.

[Mo1]

Two unidentified reporters may resist testifying, Libby's attorneys said, but they expect to resolve that issue before trial

Still resisting, huh?

Guess they don't want to go under oath and tell their story

[Perdogg]

Maybe there will a piece of paper in Scooter's stocking next week.

[highball]

Wow.

This has the possibility to get really ugly really fast.

[dead]

[My2Cents]

Cheney should just take Fitz out on a hunting trip to discuss all of this.

[txhurl]

They'll need to not want to go to jail like Judith in order to quit resisting.

[tobyhill]

No biggy. The defense will get to question Miller and Russert on cross before Cheney testifies and all they have to ask them is if they had ever talked to Armitage before ever talking to Libby. If they say they had then that's reasonable doubt about Libby lied about being the first to disclose the info. If Russert, Miller or any other reporter try for the 5th then it's a he said they won't say, case tossed.

[Howlin]

All I want for Christmas is for it to be Russert.

[Palladin]

Not this crap again!

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

Still resisting, huh?

Guess they don't want to go under oath and tell their story

It'd be a dadgummed shame if their names were leaked.

[tobyhill]

My guess is David Corn is one of them and he's resisting because he's going to have to expose the real leaker's who's probably in the CIA.

[AmishDude]

I have two words: What case?

[txhurl]

Two unidentified reporters may resist testifying, Libby's attorneys said, but they expect to resolve that issue before trial.

What could those two reporters possibly want, you think?

[popdonnelly]

How about an investigation into whether Tim Russert committed perjury?

[tomnbeverly]

Its all going to fall apart soon... hahaha millions of wasted taxpayer dollars.