Leak Probe May Expand Beyond White House [Pentagon,State Dept.]

Associated Press ^ | October 2, 2003 | Curt Anderson

[AntiGuv]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The investigation into the leak of a CIA officer's name is likely to expand to other Bush administration agencies, including the State and Defense departments, officials said Thursday.

A senior Justice Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said those agencies, and possibly others, could get letters urging officials to preserve documents such as phone logs and not to delete e-mails. Similar letters have already gone to the White House and CIA.

Defense Department officials confirmed Thursday they were told to expect such a letter. At the State Department, spokeswoman Susan Pittman said she did not know if a letter had been received but that the agency "would cooperate fully" if asked.

Preventing loss of evidence is a key piece of the early stage of the FBI's investigation, which is focused at the outset on narrowing the list of government officials who may have known the CIA officer's identity.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters Thursday that the White House had not received any subpoenas in the investigation and that, to his knowledge, no staffers had been interviewed by the FBI.

The FBI has assembled a team of about a half-dozen experienced agents to handle the investigation into who leaked the name of a CIA officer married to former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson. Wilson had accused the Bush administration of manipulating intelligence to exaggerate the threat posed by Iraq.

The officer's name, Valerie Plame, first appeared in a July 14 story by syndicated columnist Robert Novak, and she was identified later by Newsday as an undercover officer.

In Congress, Democrats and Republicans sparred over whether a special counsel should be appointed to investigate. Democrats contend an agency headed by Bush appointees cannot adequately investigate the administration. Republicans have labeled that claim politically motivated.

Overseeing the investigation is John Dion, a 30-year career prosecutor who has headed the counterespionage section at the Justice Department since 2002. FBI agents from the counterintelligence and inspections division and from the Washington field office will do the legwork.

The FBI, which can use grand jury subpoenas to compel disclosure of any evidence, has regularly used polygraph tests in investigations involving classified information. Asked Wednesday if White House staff members would submit to lie detector tests if requested, McClellan called the question "hypothetical."

"We will cooperate fully with the investigation and make sure that we preserve the integrity of the investigation," he said.

The White House and the Republican National Committee turned up the heat Wednesday on Wilson. The GOP's communication office highlighted remarks in which Wilson backtracked from his original assertion that Karl Rove, Bush's chief political strategist, was responsible for the leak.

McClellan told reporters that Wilson "has said a lot of things and then backed away from what he said. So I think part of your role is to do some further questioning there."

Novak, in a column published Wednesday, wrote that he discovered Plame's identity when talking with a senior administration official about why Wilson, who had been part of President Clinton's National Security Council, had been chosen to investigate allegations that Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger.

A second official confirmed that Wilson's wife was a CIA officer, Novak wrote, adding that the CIA itself never suggested to him that publication of her name would endanger anyone. Novak also wrote that the officer's identity was widely known in Washington.

Former Attorney General Janet Reno, in June 2000 testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the pool of potential leakers in any administration is so big it makes most leak investigations impractical.

"Almost all leak investigations are closed without having identified a suspect," she said.

Justice Department guidelines allow for journalists to be subpoenaed only on rare occasions, after all reasonable attempts are made to obtain the information from other sources.

Newsday Editor Howard Schneider said the newspaper had not been contacted by the Justice Department and that its reporters were continuing to pursue the leak story.

An ABC-Washington Post poll found 69 percent of Americans, including 52 percent of Republicans, believe a special counsel should be appointed. A substantial majority, 72 percent, said it's likely that someone in the White House leaked the classified information, but only 34 percent think it's likely Bush knew about the leak beforehand.

[freeperfromnj]

I really don't understand why Bush 41 was so damn good with the CIA (Former CIA Chief) and Bush 43 has had so many problems.

Because he never got rid of the number 1 problem -- Tenet

[Mo1]

MJ~~~~ this ties into what you heard on CSPAN today

What was that?

[ironman]

It is my understanding that reporters are not covered by the leak law. Novak's not going to do any time.

[Dog]

"MJ heard on CSPAN today the host read an news article from today in which the Justice Dept will seek the Wilson's phone records...."

Sweet ...

[hobson]

Your making the assumption that Bush knows who the leaker is. very bad...

[Mo1]

MJ heard on CSPAN today the host read an news article from today in which the Justice Dept will seek the Wilson's phone records..

Get out!!

Oh this should be interesting

[Khaibit]

>> I really don't understand why Bush 41 was so damn good with the CIA (Former CIA Chief) and Bush 43 has had so many problems. <<

Bush 41 was largely RESPONSIBLE for getting the law against revealing covert operatives passed in the first place. He was also on very good terms with Wilson if you can believe that. Bush 43 just doesn't have the same 'spook credentials' I guess.

[Steve_Seattle]

This whole thing takes me back to the days of the Lewinsky investigation, when Clinton's people were leaking things and then accusing Starr of doing it. I don't know if this leak was done by a Bush or an anti-Bush person, but the hyper media attention is reserved only for cases when it can be used to make a Republican look bad. Leaks attributed to Dems NEVER NEVER NEVER get this kind of attention.

[Arrowhead1952]

And klinton knows damn well the only person who knows who the perp is is Robert Novak and he will NEVER tell... he can't!

Exactly. If Novak ever told what he knows, he will wind up being shot 10 times in the back of the head with a shotgun. The press and klintoons will say "It was suicide".

[smiley]

That is precisely what we've been thinking the last couple of days....why on earth this administration allowed clinton hold overs.....we'll never ever know.....the Bush administration needs to get rid of every single clinton holdover anywhere near Washington, D.C. Period.

[AntiGuv]

It's possible (though unlikely) that Novak could get subpoenaed and consequently charged with contempt of court & obstruction of justice if a judge orders him to reveal the source.

[AntiGuv]

BTW, if this does somehow manage to get that far, there's little doubt that it would end up in the Supreme Court rather swiftly..

[Khaibit]

>> It is my understanding that reporters are not covered by the leak law. Novak's not going to do any time. <<

Reporters are not subject to the law unless they engage in a 'pattern' of such behaviour designed to undermine national security. So Novak would have to out at least one more agent before it could even be stretched to charge him under that law.

That said, journalistic confidentiality does not extend to crimes. Technically, he could be ordered to disclose his source and held in contempt of court for refusing. Others have suggested that since Plame worked on WMD non-proliferation it could be considered 'harming efforts against terrorism' and he could be charged under the USA Patriot Act. However, I think both of those are EXTREMELY unlikely. Maybe under a Rat administration the Justice Department might try to pull one of those, but not Ashcroft.

[Steve_Seattle]

I wouldn't be too sure that the leaker wasn't a Bush person. Keep in mind that Novak has said the leak was incidental to an inquiry he made and was not something that was offered to him unsolicited. He has further said that he had no reason to believe the leak involved national security issues or "outing" an undercover agent, and it's quite likely his source was of the same opinion. I think this was basically an innocent mistake, and that it probably was a Bush person who was the source. Remember how Novak stressed that the source was not a vindictive, high-powered spinmeister type, but was a low-key person? Maybe someone like Andrew Card.

[Mo1]

That is precisely what we've been thinking the last couple of days....why on earth this administration allowed clinton hold overs.....we'll never ever know.....the Bush administration needs to get rid of every single clinton holdover anywhere near Washington, D.C. Period.

If they are civil employees he can't get rid of them all due to the Pendleton Act

With that said, this investigation may clean up a few moles

[ironman]

I could be mistaken but I don't think any judge has the authority to order him to reval the source. So no contempt could be found or obstruction.

[freeperfromnj]

Remember how Novak stressed that the source was not a vindictive, high-powered spinmeister type, but was a low-key person?

Well then why doesn't he in good conscience set the record straight, reveal the source and save the country from another divisive event.

[AntiGuv]

See post #53 from Khaibit - that's a good explanation.

...journalistic confidentiality does not extend to crimes.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Well then why doesn't he in good conscience set the record straight, reveal the source and save the country from another divisive event."

I thought of that, and it's the most serious objection to my theory that it was a Bush person. One possible reply to you is that the person doesn't want to go down in history as a villain for something that was done in good faith, and is hoping it will blow over without him/her being detected. But the longer this goes on without the person coming forward, the more likely I think it is that the source was an anti-Bush element.

[JDGreen123]

Did any of you catch Chris Matthews last night? He replayed the Buchanan & Press interview with Agent Johnson (previously on PBS). The agent said that he knew who the leak was and stopped just short of saying "Yes it is Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney's top assistant."

Scooter Libby Profile