Cheney discussed media inquiries into Plame leak

Thu Jul 2, 2009 10:58 PM EDT
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WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney talked with top White House officials about how to respond to reporters' inquiries into who leaked the identity of a CIA operative, according to a court filing.

Cheney told the FBI about his recollection of discussions with his former top aide, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and other White House officials on the media's questions. But the Obama administration is fighting in court to keep the substance of what Cheney revealed to the FBI from the public.

The FBI interviewed Cheney in 2004 as it was investigating the leak of former CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity to reporters the year before. Her name was revealed after her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, criticized the Bush administration's prewar intelligence on Iraq.

The leak touched off a lengthy inquiry that led to Libby being convicted on charges of obstruction of justice and lying to investigators about his conversations with reporters. Libby told the FBI it was possible that Cheney ordered him to reveal Plame's identity to the media.

The liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit last year seeking records related to Cheney's FBI interview.

In a court filing Wednesday, Acting Assistant Attorney General David Barron argued that parts of Cheney's interview should be kept secret because they involve confidential deliberations among White House officials. Barron said their disclosure could limit frank and open discussion about matters of national importance in the White House in the future.

He said Cheney's recollection of discussions with Libby, the White House communications director and chief of staff about media inquiries into the Plame leak were among those portions that should be protected. He also included Cheney's discussions with the CIA director about Wilson's trip and his role in resolving disputes about declassifying "certain information" in that category.

Barron's filing was first reported Thursday on The Washington Post's Web site.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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5.1
{"commentId":8000157,"authorDomain":"pharris7329"}
AZPADDY

Cheney's dirty handprints are all over the leaking of Valerie Planme's identity. He, along with Rove should be prosecuted for treason.

{"commentId":8000157,"threadId":"618352","contentId":"2993117","authorDomain":"pharris7329"}
  • 3 votes
Reply#1 - Thu Jul 2, 2009 11:58 PM EDT
{"commentId":8006436,"authorDomain":"adklugherz"}
UnAmericanLiberal
Cheney's dirty handprints are all over the leaking of Valerie Planme's identity.

I could have told you that a long, long time ago. Everything that "leaked" from the Bush administration was "leaked" on purpose. They "leaked" the report of the WMD threat in Iraq to the New York Times and then used the NYT article as evidence from an outside source.

{"commentId":8006436,"threadId":"618352","contentId":"2993117","authorDomain":"adklugherz"}
  • 2 votes
#1.1 - Fri Jul 3, 2009 2:08 PM EDT
{"commentId":8011470,"authorDomain":"pharris7329"}
AZPADDY

Yes. You can look at almost any aspect of the Bush / Cheney administration and find corruption.

Let's hope the D.O.J. wasn't so screwed up by Alberto Gonzales and the neo-cons that it can't do the job. Are the same U.S. attorneys that served under the Bush admin. stiil on the job??

{"commentId":8011470,"threadId":"618352","contentId":"2993117","authorDomain":"pharris7329"}
  • 1 vote
#1.2 - Fri Jul 3, 2009 6:28 PM EDT
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{"commentId":8001739,"authorDomain":"kelvins273"}
kelvins273
In a court filing Wednesday, Acting Assistant Attorney General David Barron argued that parts of Cheney's interview should be kept secret because they involve confidential deliberations among White House officials.

So apparently it's imperative that the president get unvarnished advice on how best to smear administration critics.

{"commentId":8001739,"threadId":"618352","contentId":"2993117","authorDomain":"kelvins273"}
  • 1 vote
Reply#2 - Fri Jul 3, 2009 5:13 AM EDT
{"commentId":8002666,"authorDomain":"pharris7329"}
AZPADDY

I believe the reason the Obama admin. is trying to keep parts od Cheney's interview secret is because the Bush admin. has opened so many new doors for administration secrecy, and Obama's administration would like to keep them open. This is another legacy from the bush administration we could do without.

This court filing is like telling someone you have a big secret you know about, but aren't going to tell them.

I hope the curent administration loses this battle.

{"commentId":8002666,"threadId":"618352","contentId":"2993117","authorDomain":"pharris7329"}
  • 1 vote
#2.1 - Fri Jul 3, 2009 8:46 AM EDT
{"commentId":8003744,"authorDomain":"DEBE"}
DEBEKI

AZPADDY:

I don't think President Obama wants to continue Bush's "open doors". I think Bush left such a cluster F#ck that it will take some time to get everything straightened out. I will wait to see what happens down the road. I can say the AG better get off his thumbs and start doing something about Cheney and the rest of the "stupid group" as President Obama has stated on numberous occassions he will leave it to the justice department. I just hope there is a real "security" reason not to release this information now, but maybe the information is required in a civil case against them. I really don't know, but like I said - I will wait to see what happens down the road; after all, the President has a lot on his plate right now.

{"commentId":8003744,"threadId":"618352","contentId":"2993117","authorDomain":"DEBE"}
  • 2 votes
#2.2 - Fri Jul 3, 2009 10:33 AM EDT
{"commentId":8011371,"authorDomain":"pharris7329"}
AZPADDY

I agree DEBEKI, but although I'm an Obama supporter, I still think the policies and practices the former administratrion set as precedent can be very attractive to any new president, and could lead to trouble for them and the nation.

What possible reason could the new administration have for this position??

{"commentId":8011371,"threadId":"618352","contentId":"2993117","authorDomain":"pharris7329"}
  • 1 vote
#2.3 - Fri Jul 3, 2009 6:23 PM EDT
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