Miller Agrees to Testify in CIA Leak Probe

washingtonpost.com ^ | Sep 129 2005 | JOHN SOLOMON

[blogblogginaway]

WASHINGTON -- After nearly three months behind bars, New York Times reporter Judith Miller was released from a federal prison Thursday after agreeing to testify in the investigation into the disclosure of the identity of a covert CIA officer, two people familiar with the case said.

Miller left the federal detention center in Alexandria, Va., after reaching an agreement with Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald. Legal sources said she would appear before a grand jury investigating the case Friday morning. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of the grand jury proceedings.

The sources said Miller agreed to testify after securing an unconditional release from Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, to testify about any discussions they had involving CIA officer Valerie Plame.

[FreeTheHostages]

I too feel we're missing a piece of the puzzle. She could have had her people speak to Scooter sooner.

I don't know what the missing piece is. Maybe it's just that, in her mind, she had to serve enough time to get a good book deal out of it?

[oceanview]

good points.

but still, does this "other sources are protected" mean that Miller won't be asked "how did you know Plame was a CIA agent?". whether she heard it at a cocktail party, or whether Plame or Wilson told her - if that question is excluded, what's the point?

[gondramB]

"I heard a Fox News radio headline after posting. The deal that was cut is that other sources won't have to be revealed.

Who is being protected????"

---

The rumor is that its Douglas Feith.

But I think another more logical explanation is that she is making a point - that she is not prepared to reveal all source confidences, only those with a specific "freely given" release. So it might not be anybody.

[codercpc]

The only thing I can come up with is that he already knows who the main "leaker"(and it's not Libby or Rove, but someone outside the Government) is, maybe through someones testimony (Libbys), and he is just trying to verify Libby's original testimony. Something like, "Please tell us what Scooter Libby told you", and if it jives, case closed, because remember she never published anything about any of this, so her testimony is only for corroborating evidence, not anything else. I think her being jailed was all a publicity stunt on her part. Because if she truly had the story, why didn't she publish it?

[popdonnelly]

This should be good. I await the Grand Jury "leaks" with great interest. I also look forward to all the apologies that will be extended to Karl Rove. NOT!

[ExSoldier]

If this scandal in any way attaches itself to Cheney directly, I would expect to see him resign as VP for reasons of health. Then I would expect the new heir apparent to the Oval Office step forward...Condi Rice. I look for this to happen (if it's going to at all) between now and DEC 05. Possibly very early in 06. Condi will beat Hillary like a red headed stepchild.

[samadams2000]

R-U-S-S-E-R-T..is going down.

[Voteamerica]

DeLay's prosecution is political, but I don't think the mess Frist finds himself in could be political.

[mosquitobite]

Very good analysis.

[mosquitobite]

oooh! We can only hope!

[KingofZion]

Miller never had a "privilege" - there is no privilege that applies when the source is participating in a criminal act. This is well-settled law, Judge Hogan made the right decision.

So Miller either got bad legal advice (entirely possible), was pushed by the Times and its lib buddies to become a martyr, or is just plain stupid.

3 months in jail is a long time, but well deserved if you are stupid.

[meyer]

She's speaking now!

[Dave S]

why would Scooter Libby and his lawyer do exactly the same thing now, giving a legally meaningless "2nd release" to Miller?

Libby's lawyer said today he thought they knew they were released a year ago.

[oceanview]

they were. that's the point - why the hell did Libby (and his attorney) even talk to Miller at this point? hang up the phone!

[Dave S]

No one would sit in jail, even in Alexandria, for three months simply because she didn't feel like picking up the phone and calling Libby to hear him say the waiver directly.

[oceanview]

where? in front of the courthouse? please post what she is saying.

[MEG33]

What did she say?

[jackv]

But--what is political about Frist,is that it's a big news headline and Dingy Harry Reid's transactions are not.

[meyer]

What did she say?

My apologies - I missed most of what she said. The gist of it was that she stuck to her principle to protect her source until she was satisfied that he actually would allow her to reveal his name. The fact that he gave that permission a year ago is apparently irrelevant.

[MEG33]

Thanks.