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.
Twasn't me!! LOL!!
Matthew Continetti completely busts Wilson.
Has anyone been able to find the June 12, 2003 WaPo Pincus piece? I haven't been able to find it.
bttt
I've long thought it was not a breach of security as I don't think she had been a covert agent for years. Of course the WH had nothing to do with it.
I have posited that the grand jury is looking at a wider issue of leaks, not who "leaked" Plame's name, but perhaps how she and others were involved in disseminating disinformation.
I also was on record as stating flatly that I expected the appellate court to uphold the contempt citations for Judith Miller and Matt Cooper. Yesterday they did so---unanimously.
I read the first part of the ruling and found a fascinating tidbit regarding what the grand jury wants from Miller. Regarding a "specified government official" they want to know of any discussions that took place between July 6 and July 13, 2003, involving Plame OR about discussions about *Iraq and uranium*.
Keep in mind this is an appellate court citing the above to justify upholding an order that she testify so they have found it is not beyond the scope of the investigation.
I had it bookmarked once but lost the file when my husband did some computer work. I'll try to find it.
You may be interested in my post 85.
A Google of Niger + Pincus did the trick:
CIA Did Not Share Doubt on Iraq Data
June 12, 2003
A key component of President Bush's claim in his State of the Union address last January that Iraq had an active nuclear weapons program -- its alleged attempt to buy uranium in Niger -- was disputed by a CIA-directed mission to the central African nation in early 2002, according to senior administration officials and a former government official. But the CIA did not pass on the detailed results of its investigation to the White House or other government agencies, the officials said.
~snip~
We now know by his own admission the "former government official" cited above was none other than Wilson himself.
During his trip, the CIA's envoy spoke with the president of Niger and other Niger officials mentioned as being involved in the Iraqi effort, some of whose signatures purportedly appeared on the documents.
Here is Wilson purveying the notion he was sent based on the forged documents. However, he went in February 2002 and the forged documents were given to our Embassy in Rome in October 2002.
However, a senior CIA analyst said the case "is indicative of larger problems" involving the handling of intelligence about Iraq's alleged chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs and its links to al Qaeda, which the administration cited as justification for war. "Information not consistent with the administration agenda was discarded and information that was [consistent] was not seriously scrutinized," the analyst said.
How much you wanna bet this "CIA analyst" is none over than Plame?
none over should read "none OTHER" than Plame...
You're right, Wilson never saw the documents and did not write a report on his trip.
Furthermore, I did a check of headlines at the time the Plame biz was in the news. The focus at that point, via headlines, was predominantly upon "Africa harboring terrorists" -- not necessarily Africa being a harborer or conduit for uranium. The latter focus had already begun earlier, and I suspected an attention redirect away from countries more obviously in suspicion of harboring/conduiting Uranium - Syria, Iran, etc.
The whole of it struck me as a DC, foggybottom, redirect of national attention via "rumor".
I can tell you how he knew about the memo and was able to ask Wilson about it. About ten days before Gannon interviewed Wilson the WSJ had published an article describing...the memo. I therefore deduce Gannon read the paper.
You are a memory-division all your own, cyncooper! LOL! No doubts, Gannon does read the papers. So, this dem "investigation" is attempting to cover tracks?
I think they just fling out whatever they think will stick (they keep failing).
Gannon was on the list Newsday published of reporters that would likely be called before the grand jury. The lefty sites were making a big deal about this last week and using the memo question to Wilson as their jumping off point of why this was significant (of course people like me had already figured out how Gannon came up with that question via the WSJ article).
I can't tell you the satisfaction I got yesterday when that appeals court upheld the lower court ruling that reporters Miller and Cooper had to testify.
Why aren't the lefty sites all in a dither over reporters who have actually been called?! LOL
All they can do is rant and rave and try to spin. They have long tried to spin that grand jury investigation and I have long stated I think its scope is broader than conventional wisdom. Gannon stated a few days ago to E&P that the FBI had interviewed him about the case but he had not been called. I am gratified to know there is a thorough investigation but I don't think the left is going to like the findings.
I agree with you, they are not. And which is partly, IMHO, why so many "fear and loathing" events are hitting the headlines, so "coincidentally", and so simultaneously. I think they are attempting to lay the groundwork for "burying" those results. In addition, of course, to drawing attention away from revamping social security.
Additionally, President Bush getting passed "frivolous lawsuit reform" was A MAJOR-MAJOR deal. I counted a view headlines on that.
DIRTY RATS....
Right after the special prosecutor for Sandy Berger.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.