Posted on 02/11/2005 10:30:42 AM PST by seamus
Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (NY-28), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Rules, and Rep. John Conyers (MI-14), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, called on Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to investigate the leaking of a classified Central Intelligence Agency memo containing the identity of undercover agent Valerie Plame to a man at the center of the White House Press Briefing Room scandal, "Jeff Gannon."
Rep. Slaughter, a long-time advocate for media reform and accountability, brought this story into the national spotlight days ago when she wrote President Bush asking for an investigation into the issue.
"This matter is growing more serious by the day. We now know that 'Jeff Gannon' had access to classified CIA documents that contained the identity of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame. This is more than an issue of media manipulation by the White House... this is now an issue of national security," said Rep. Slaughter. "What is the White House hiding? This man, Mr. Gannon, should never have been admitted into the White House briefing room in the first place. Someone let him in day after day. Someone gave him access to classified CIA documents. Someone must answer for this. It is critical that we uncover the exact nature of the relationship between Gannon and this White House," added Slaughter."
In addition, Reps. Slaughter and Conyers wrote W. Ralph Basham, Director of the Secret Service, calling on his office to provide details on the security clearance of day pass holders in the White House briefing room as well as any and all information they can provide on Mr. Gannon.
"White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan was unable to answer these important questions in yesterday's briefing so we hope the Secret Service will be able to fill in the blanks," said Slaughter. "Since the White House has denied any role or responsibility in this matter I hope the Secret Service can shed some light on their procedures for clearing day pass holders to the White House briefing room," continued Slaughter.
The letters follow:
February 10, 2005
Mr. Patrick J. Fitzgerald
United States Attorney
US Attorney's Office
219 S. Dearborn Street, 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."1 In the present case all three factors have been met.
As has been long discussed, revealing the identity of an undercover agent violates myriad laws. Whoever in the Administration gave Mr. Guckert the memo risked Ms. Plame's very life and must be punished to the full extent of the law.
There is a clear conflict of interest in the Administration investigating Mr. Guckert's role in this crime. Mr. Guckert and the White House press operation work together closely to forward the President's policies.
First, Mr. Guckert would not be considered a bona fide journalist by his peers in the press corps, as most of his claims to legitimacy have already been discredited. Access to the President and his press corps is highly competitive, and many seasoned journalists have not had the honor of attending the events or enjoying the access Mr. Guckert has. That a person of these dubious qualifications was given such close contact to the President, perhaps in violation of standard security procedures, demonstrates the Administration's affinity for and bias towards Mr. Guckert.
Second, Mr. Guckert's questions clearly reiterated the White House's policy, and simply asked for concurrence. Finally, Mr. Guckert's "articles," published by a news front for GOPUSA, track White House talking points word for word.
Clearly, Mr. Guckert returned the White House's favor by advancing the President's policies with gusto. With such a close relationship between Mr. Guckert and the White House, the conflict of an administration-led investigation is all too apparent.
Finally, the public interest has been thwarted far too long over the leak of Ms. Plame's identity. It has been over a year and a half since Robert Novak published Plame's identity and we are no closer to finding who in the Administration illegally leaked her status as an undercover agent. Having a special counsel immediately follow up this lead is necessary to ensure that those who risk their lives for our country to gather intelligence are fully protected.
We look forward to hearing whether you will be following up on this new information, or if you have, what progress you have made.
Sincerely,
Louise Slaughter
John Conyers, Jr.
I'm getting more and more interested in the Senate Democratic Policy Committee meeting in May 2003. This is where the whole scheme may have been cooked up. Wilson, Plame and Kristoff were there. I wonder who else? Was this about the about same time the Rockerfeller memo was dated/leaked?
The initial phase of the Iraq war was just completed, Sadam was on the run, and GWB had landed on the Abraham Lincoln. The rats were really pissed.
In October 20003 the Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a hearing which took testimony from the usual suspects.
They were kind enough provide a transcript
Reading, and ping.
Ms Slaughter needs a good hard screw. Sorry.
The May 2003 meeting is most likely very important to this timeline.
I'd still like to know why Joe Wilson was really sent to Niger in February 2002. From his own account of his time there he did not do any real sleuthing into the ostensible reason for his visit (to dig into the yellowcake/Iraq/Niger question). Sipping tea and making casual inquiry is hardly an in-depth investigation.
Well, I just started reading that October 2003 transcript and it is MOST interesting and wanted to pop back and thank you for it. I'll be sure to file it away.
Back to reading...
So much for the theory that it was entirely Rove's fault.
You guys remember the Rockefeller Memo?? It was leaked to Hannity around 11/2003. The point was to politicize intel to take down Bush.
Keep in mind the the first time Berger went to the archives... July 18,2003.
After looking at the dates from the Scarboro Country show transcript http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5472936/, when they were discussing Sandy Berger's visits to the National Archives, something just jogged my memory of the ROCKEFELLER plan to take the President down with a surprise investigation.
I think Berger has GOT to be involved in the Rockefeller Memo scheme .. Let us not forget that Kerry brought him on as an advisor for a while, then suddenly, Mr. I HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME to take WH Terror briefings was talking about port security...etc..
Publicity.
Of course the current Plame business is brokering gold out of guess what country?
Valerie Plame may have been outed by Aldrich Ames in the 90's to the Russians. If the FBI looks like it is actively doing nothing in the case, it is because they cannot. She worked at Langley, because she was no longer able to be a covert person. If she is not covert anymore, then no law was broken. But the FBI cannot just say that. Otherwise, other agents that still have covert value may be outed the same way.
DK
Heck, I'd settle for privately, as in "had a word with."
Peripheral links:
http://www.wisconsinproject.org/pubs/articles/1999/lithotripter.html
My question is: Why and who wanted to float a story in order to focus on Africa, and not other countries?
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20040322-082826-7678r.htm
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And these other two:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1045272/posts>
http://www.nationalreview.com/ledeen/ledeen200407120941.asp
It becomes increasingly clear, reading a ton of data, someone wanted attention focused away from specific countries and with focus paid to Africa where the "at that time" issue was concerned with "harboring" of terrorists; but not specifically upon uranium. The directional focus of "who outted Valerie Plame" is the hunt directional. Aimed at the Bush Admin. And as I panned story after story.. search after search.. it is patently, overwhelmingly obvious there are efforts to take down not just the President, but the WH Cabinet and Admin. From Gary Hart taking potshots at Rice to demands for Rumsfeld to resign over "abu ghraib".
The point is to focus on Who Outted Valerie Plame. right. It most certainly is a breach of security, but I don't think it came from the WH. Why would they shoot themselves in the foot? They have absolutely nothing to gain through the Plame "outting" and the attention being focused on Africa but not other "certain" nations, and at that particular time.
thank you for your # 26
Thanks Alia,
I'll check out those links...
You know what I've never really understood other than the money factor, is why Joe Wilson came out with his book when he did, knowing his story could be debunked. Why attract such attention to yourself??? Reminds me of the Shell game...
You are welcome!
JJ, my two cents: I think it is a "multi-tasking" shell game spun by Dems with aid and abet by a number of allied friendships, coworkers, perhaps even spanning a few countries.
Makes sense to me. Looking at the behaviours of former friends and allies, they all seem to be firmly wrapped in something like the OilForFood scam, with the intent of taking down our form of government, and installing who know who. Shadow Party stuff.
Illuminati? It certainly is an international select cabal,no?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1236609/posts
The Shadow Party emerged from the dense thicket of campaign finance reforms engineered by Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold. Thanks to the soft-money ban enacted by the McCain-Feingold Act of March 27, 2002, the Democratic Party entered the current election cycle hard pressed to raise enough money legally to undertake a winning campaign. This created an imperative that found its inevitable loophole (as critics of McCain-Feingold always warned it would). Consequently, the driving force in the political war against George Bush is now a group of billionaires and millionaires operating through the veiled structures of the Shadow Party. [snip]
The Southampton Meeting To the extent that the Shadow Party can be said to have an official launch date, July 17, 2003 probably fits the bill.[10] On that day, a team of political strategists, wealthy donors, leftwing labor leaders and other Democrat activists gathered at Soros Southampton beach house on Long Island. Aside from Soros, the most noteworthy attendee was Morton H. Halperin. Soros had hired Halperin in February 2002, to head the Washington
Among the issues highlighted at the Shadow Conventions were racism, special interest lobbies, marijuana legalization and the allegedly growing concentration of wealth a radical hobgoblin since Karl Marx first raised its specter 150 years ago. Most speakers and delegates at the Shadow Convention hewed to a hard-left line, their views resonating with the Free Mumia chants that erupted periodically from the crowd and with Jesse Jacksons incendiary charges that Republicans were racists. Huffington herself was a sometime conservative whose cult-like worship of Newt Gingrich had formerly evoked titters of amusement from media gossips. At the Shadow Conventions, she told reporters: I have become radicalized.
I wish many could have seen how special interest groups "sold" this idea to their group members. Some were selling it as a: government pays for you to run, especially to minorities. It was astounding. Leaving, say, minorities with the idea that should McCain-Feingold pass -- that "the voiceless" would be funded to run for office.
That's not what happened, however.
Yes, there is a shadow party.
Aside from Soros, the most noteworthy attendee was Morton H. Halperin. Soros had hired Halperin in February 2002, to head the Washington office of his tax-exempt Open Society Institute part of Soros global network of Open Society institutes and foundations located in more than 50 countries around the world. Given Halperins history, the appointment revealed much about Soros political goals.
Camejo's Green Socialist Party was also activated worldwide. It was very obvious that the Dems were using 'outSIDE" the US to influence US elections, international public opinion (how'd the MSM know exactly WHO to interview for opinions, etc.)
Halperin has a long and controversial track record in the world of Washington intrigue, dating back to the Johnson Administration. Journalists sympathetic to Halperins leftwing sentiments give him high marks for blowing the whistle on the Vietnam War, but his activism helped undermine Americas war effort and contributed to the Communist victory.
Hmph. Ah, well. hardly surprising... Ramsey Clarke, lawyer, also worked in the Johnson Admin. Ramsey is now defending Saddam Hussein.
This frontpagemag.org article is awesome. I recall reading it when it came out. You are VERY right to redraw attention to it, now.
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