Reporter Disputes Ari Fleischer's Testimony at CIA Leak Trial (David Gregory told of Wilson's wife)

Foxnews ^ | 1/30/2007 | Foxnews

[tobyhill]

WASHINGTON — A former Time Magazine correspondent says former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer got it wrong when he testified under oath Monday at the CIA leak trial that he disclosed to the journalist the identity of a secret CIA operative.

"I assumed that in some context, my name would come up," John Dickerson, Slate Magazine's chief political correspondent, told FOXNews.com on his way Tuesday to cover the trial. "I didn't realize it would come up in that fashion."

Fleischer took the stand Monday to answer questions in the trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. Libby is charged with perjury and obstruction relating to the investigation of who outed CIA operative Valerie Plame.

Fleischer also testified that he first heard about Plame from Libby over lunch on July 7, 2003. Libby says he first learned about Plame on July 10 from NBC reporter Tim Russert.

Dickerson said he was surprised when he heard his name — and his photo popped up on the big screen in the courtroom — when Fleisher took the stand.

"I was at the Scooter Libby trial to cover it, and all of a sudden, I found myself in the middle of the case," Dickerson wrote.

[Holicheese]

So far, how many people have gotten testimony incorrect.

[woofie]

My grandma used to tell me stories about Valerie Plame when I was little

[Howlin]

Scooter ping!!

[Mr. K]

When does David Gregory get indicted?

[Williams]

I wonder if the defense will call the witness as a result of this revelation. I think I would.

[Howlin]

She use to deliver our mail; covertly, of course.

[tobyhill]

It's sounding like the journalist and reporters are already starting to go on the defensive. Before this is over I will bet there was a healthy handful that knew of Plame way before any discussions.

[maryz]

LOL! I wouldv'e thought that story was too scary for a little kid! ;-)

[massgopguy]

Is anybody catching on that all the testimony is Hearsay?

[tobyhill]

It's just too pathetic that Chrissy Matthews, Shuster and Gregory have been playing this thing as though all these revelations are new.

[Howlin]

Rules don't seem to apply in this witch hunt.

[Enchante]

Far from emphatic denials by Dickerson (and MSM reporting credibility is shot to pieces anyway). I'm beginning to think no one associated with this case, on any side of it, is worth a cup of warm spit.....

"Dickerson says he doesn't remember Fleischer telling him directly that Plame worked at the CIA, just hints to "go inquire about who sent Wilson to Niger." "As far as I can remember — and I am pretty sure I would remember it — neither of them ever told me that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA," Dickerson wrote. Fleischer said he told Dickerson and David Gregory of NBC that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA, Dickerson wrote. "Could I have forgotten that Ari told me?" Dickerson wrote. "I don't think so."

[zerosix]

It was my grandmother who told your grandmother (ha)!

[tobyhill]

The whole trial is a he said, she said.

[woofie]

I had this on the other thread

As someone who is clueless I can state with certainty what is going on:



Everyone who might have leaked has now admitted that they leaked. That way they they cant be accused of lying about not leaking, but if they didnt leak, and falsely admit leaking, no one will question them about not leaking....Scooter didnt get the memo

[Eva]

I think that is the plan, to show that no one has a clear memory of just who told whom and when. I think that the plan is to demonstrate that the information was not that big an issue because no one thought that the information was classified, so the timeline was not something that stuck in anyone's mind.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I used to have some respect for lawyers!

[greyfoxx39]

Thanks for the ping.

[Howlin]

It's sounding like the journalist and reporters are already starting to go on the defensive

No kidding.

From the rest of the article:

Prosecutors are using testimony from journalists to show Libby lied about what he told reporters he knew about Plame.

and

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will begin calling reporters to the stand Tuesday...

Evidently they are lining up outside the courthouse to destroy Libby and the Bush administration and save their sorry asses.

Fleischer said he told Dickerson, then White House correspondent for Time, that he had told him that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA.

Told him that he had told him?

Fleischer said he told Dickerson and David Gregory of NBC that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA, Dickerson wrote.

Then why isn't Ari on trial for outting a CIA "agent?"