Posted on 07/11/2005 12:11:46 PM PDT by areafiftyone
To: National Desk
Contact: Naomi Seligman of Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington, 202-588-5565
WASHINGTON, July 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW) sent a letter today to President George Bush requesting that he immediately direct Karl Rove's security clearances be suspended pending the outcome of the government's investigation into the leak of Valerie Plame's identity as an undercover agent for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
As reported today in Newsweek, Karl Rove was a confidential source for Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper on the identification of a covert CIA agent. Rove disclosed that Ambassador Joseph Wilson's trip to Iraq to investigate charges that Iraq was trying to buy uranium from Niger was authorized by Mr. Wilson's wife, a CIA employee working on issues related to weapons of mass destruction. At that time, Valerie Plame, Ambassador Wilson's wife, was a covert operative with the CIA whose identity as such had not yet been publicly revealed.
Under federal law, it is a crime to "intentionally disclose () any information identifying" a covert agent “to any individual not authorized to received classified information." 50 U.S.C. (Section) 421(a). Thus, by disclosing to Matt Cooper Ms. Plame's relationship with the CIA and thereby identifying her as a covert agent, Mr. Rove appears to have committed an illegal act.
"Considering that it is a federal crime to identify covert agents, and that President Bush signed executive orders identifying the vital role the President plays in protecting national security secrets from unauthorized disclosure, it is appropriate for the President to suspend Mr. Rove's clearance pending the investigation's outcome," Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said today.
"The evidence uncovered so far raises serious questions about Mr. Rove's conduct and his ability to safeguard highly sensitive classified information. Until those questions are resolved, CREW believes it is not appropriate for Mr. Rove to have continued access to classified information. Anything short of suspension raises an unacceptable risk to our nation's security," Sloan wrote to the President today.
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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit, progressive legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions. CREW drafted the complaint against Tom DeLay, filed by former Congressman Chris Bell, for which DeLay was admonished last year.
For more information, and a copy of the letter, visit http://www.citizensforethics.org or contact Naomi Seligman at 202-588-5565 or press@citizensforethics.org.
It is just indicative that this organization is not going to let details get in their way.
It just indicates that this organization is not going to let details get in their way.
Sorry, watching TV, typing and eating lunch at the same time.
"Berger should go to jail for what he did. And I'm beginning to wonder if he should be sharing a cell with Rove."
I agree, I see alot of conservative apologists in these Plame/Rove threads all bringing up Berger. Just because Rove is W's right-hand man and a political genius does not mean he didd't break the law. If he did then he should be busted no matter how much we like the guy (same goes for Rush and his oxycotin binge)
Special prosecutors are like the Energizer Bunny: they just keep going & going. How much does anyone want to bet that the Plame investigation will be going on long after GWB leaves office? Suspending Rove 'until the investigation is completed' would therefore be tatamount to firing him.
To: Naomi Seligman, CREW
From: George W. Bush, POTUS
Bite me.
Best Regards,
George
This is the way the Left works. Everyone is guilty until proven innocent. Why should Rove's security clearance be pulled now? God, anything to trash Bush.
Must be a new organization founded (and funded) by liberal weenies to trash Rove - or maybe trash the whole Bush Admin.
Exactly. Anything to trash Bush or better yet in their delusional minds to impeach Bush!
Then why is one reporter in jail and why was another threatened with jail?
Didn't he cop to a misdemeanor?
Where's teh barf alert?
Commies
Hating
Everything
W.
Didn't have enough room on the title. Only so much room ya know! Even had to cut the word President to Pres. LOL sometimes I have to figure out what the abbreviations are for certain words!
Does that necessarily follow?
Jail and threats of jail mean that a crime was committed?
Now the fact they didn't even know that is REALLY funny! They must truly live in a fog.
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