Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The White House’s Legal Katrina
Human Events Online ^ | oct. 18 , 2005 | Victoria Toensing

Posted on 10/18/2005 2:34:42 PM PDT by blogblogginaway

There now appears to be consensus that no one violated the 1982 Agent Identities Protection Act in publishing the name of CIA employee Valerie Plame. It’s a hard law to violate. Its high threshold requires that the person whose identity is revealed must actually be covert (which requires at the least a foreign assignment within five years of the revelation), that the government must be taking “affirmative measures” to conceal the person’s identity, and that the revealer must know that the government is taking those measures.

So why didn’t Patrick Fitzgerald, the special counsel investigating the “leak,” close up shop long ago?

(Excerpt) Read more at humaneventsonline.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cialeak; toensing
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 next last
To: Diddle E. Squat

I was able to read it. The printer friendly version was not on line.

My heart sank reading that the prosecutor is taking "a creative" approach to finding a legal violation. He is looking for a law to use to indict because no one violated the Identities Protection Act. This is rather frightening.


21 posted on 10/18/2005 2:58:02 PM PDT by AUsome Joy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

She HATES breaking the truth to Chrissy....because he prolly throws a hissy fit during commercials..

Remember what he did to Michelle Malkin?


22 posted on 10/18/2005 2:58:39 PM PDT by Txsleuth (Please say a prayer, and hold positive thoughts for Texas Cowboy...and Faith.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: lugsoul
Fitz should have closed up shop a year ago.

But, he lost this big terrorist because one of his deputies botched the case.

What better way to get his "reputation" back than to stretch and strain to bring somebody--ANYBODY--into the dock.

23 posted on 10/18/2005 2:59:30 PM PDT by sinkspur (If you're not willing to give Harriett Miers a hearing, I don't give a damn what you think.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: djl_sa

Thanks for the link. It is a good article.


24 posted on 10/18/2005 3:00:24 PM PDT by Irish Eyes
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: leadpenny

Use the link that appears at the bottom of the excerpt, not the one at the top. The bottom one works just fine.


25 posted on 10/18/2005 3:01:09 PM PDT by blau993 (Labs for love; .357 for Security.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: syriacus
"Andrea Mitchell on Hardball just now. Mentioned that Wilson "exaggerated/lied" when he told everyone that Cheney sent him to Africa."

Lugsoul has insisted - with quotes to back him up - that Wilson did not say that, but that it was an inference made by some journalists who put together two facts - (1) it was Cheney who requested that the Niger claims be looked into and (2) Wilson was the one who looked into it - without realizing that there was never any contact whatsoever between Cheney and Wilson. Wilson was, however, guilty of misrepresentations that were far more significant than who selected him for the trip.
26 posted on 10/18/2005 3:01:23 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: syriacus
Stephen Hayes on Hardball saying most of what Wilson said was wrong. Impossible for Wilson to have debunked forgeries which were not available at the time.

Fineman says "At this point Wilson is almost beside the point." Matthews keeps interrupting Hayes, says that Wilson will be elated if indictments of people like Libby come out of this.

27 posted on 10/18/2005 3:03:00 PM PDT by syriacus (Don't look for medical breakthroughs to be accomplished by pro-abortion or pro-euthanasia doctors.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: speedy
Toensing is a serious and well-connected person. Her writing like this is not a good sign.

Did you read the whole thing?
28 posted on 10/18/2005 3:03:19 PM PDT by cmsgop ( Bill Clinton's License Plate..... "Herpes 1")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: blogblogginaway

He is riding the clock.
He may indict Wilson.
He may indict someone from the WH.
He may not do anything.
Either way he is riding the clock and we are paying the bill. Easy money!!!


29 posted on 10/18/2005 3:03:22 PM PDT by right right
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Txsleuth
Wilson, in addition to all that, was known around town as a grandstander and a bit of a flake.

I really enjoyed reading this. I think, from what Ms. Toensing writes, there is no there there so, unless Fitzgerald is not the paragon of rectitude he is made out to be, this is going off a cliff to nowhere.

30 posted on 10/18/2005 3:03:54 PM PDT by Bahbah (This is a no Miers zone)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

Matthews smells blood and doesn't want to be bothered by the facts.


31 posted on 10/18/2005 3:04:48 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Steve_Seattle
When it was all over - It is not all over yet
32 posted on 10/18/2005 3:07:04 PM PDT by SF Republican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: blogblogginaway

" One possible answer is that someone lied about a material fact when testifying before the grand jury or obstructed justice in some other way. If that is the case, the prosecutor should indict.

However, recent reporting, attributable to “lawyers familiar with the investigation,” points to a different prosecutorial tactic: Fitzgerald may be taking a “creative” approach to finding a legal violation. In other words, he may be trying to find a law other than the Agent Identities Protection Act that he might be able to apply to the factual scenario in this case even though it was never intended to cover such conduct. "

The SP has got nothing,he`s fishing for perjury,making people testify over and over hoping they`ll slip up.Or he`ll just dust off some convoluted law he found in a book somewhere.

All to save face.


33 posted on 10/18/2005 3:07:50 PM PDT by Para-Ord.45
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Diddle E. Squat
Here's the link: The White House’s Legal Katrina. It's the very top story, but you probably missed it because the title's been changed on the thread here.
34 posted on 10/18/2005 3:08:34 PM PDT by AntiGuv (™)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Steve_Seattle
I have read Wilson's actual column so I know what Lugsoul means.

Mitchell, though, seemed to be saying that Wilson misrepresented himself, to others around town, as someone who was sent to Africa by Cheney.

It seems pretty apparent that Wilson intended that people would think Cheney sent him.

Wilson didn't put that little detail about Cheney in his "columnful of lies" for no reason.

35 posted on 10/18/2005 3:10:33 PM PDT by syriacus (Don't look for medical breakthroughs to be accomplished by pro-abortion or pro-euthanasia doctors.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: sinkspur
after being embarrassed in a terrorism investigation two years ago.

What are you referring to? The great GOP Senator Peter Fitzgerald brought Patrict Fitzgerald from NY to Northern IL 6+ years ago. Patrick Fitzgerald is the best thing that has happened to Illinois since I came here in '61. Fitzgerald has an extremely good batting average. He does not try his cases in public. He investigates thoroughly. He indicts only when he has cause. Because his indictments are solid, he wins the convictions.

A few more people in government like Fitzgerald and those of us who distrust government would have no reason to distrust government.

36 posted on 10/18/2005 3:11:24 PM PDT by NormalGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Steve_Seattle
Matthews smells blood and doesn't want to be bothered by the facts.

Perhaps his own nose is being bloodied by the truth.

37 posted on 10/18/2005 3:13:06 PM PDT by syriacus (Don't look for medical breakthroughs to be accomplished by pro-abortion or pro-euthanasia doctors.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: syriacus; Dog; okie01; cyncooper; Fedora

"Andrea Mitchell on Hardball just now. Mentioned that Wilson "exaggerated/lied" when he told everyone that Cheney sent him to Africa. Andrea didn't look too well."

Now THAT'S news. Mitchell was chums with Wilson. Gave him his first public TV interview. Later showed Wilson some Niger docs and Wilson acted like he'd never seen them before. (Maybe wife took home some homework).

Didn't look too well? Perhaps the feeling of "it's all over" as with It's All Over the cozy relationship of leaking govt. officials with journalists, doling out insider info. Novak blew the whole cozy deal.

We'll see.


38 posted on 10/18/2005 3:14:50 PM PDT by Shermy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: speedy
I don't necessarily agree with her concluding sentence "The White House better get prepared for the aftermath."

I truly do not believe this prosecutor will indict anyone based on Wilson's spin perpetuated by the media. I also do not believe Fitzgerald's would "stretch the law" to get an indictment. The true crime here (and I cannot tell you which 'law' it would fall under) is the attempt of Wilson and the media to interfere with ... 1) the 2004 election and ... 2) treason, in my opinion.
39 posted on 10/18/2005 3:14:51 PM PDT by blogblogginaway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: blau993

Thanks, got it now.


40 posted on 10/18/2005 3:15:46 PM PDT by leadpenny
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson