Special Prosecutor Again Queries Reporter

[hang a left]

Special Prosecutor Again Queries Reporter

By Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Page A02

New York Times reporter Judith Miller yesterday answered questions about a previously undisclosed conversation she had with Vice President Cheney's chief of staff in June 2003, as a special prosecutor moved to decide whether to bring charges in his investigation of how a covert CIA operative's identity was leaked to reporters.

Special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald questioned Miller about notes she said she discovered last week involving a June 23, 2003, conversation with Cheney's top aide, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, according to a source familiar with Miller's account.




According to the source, the notes reveal that the two discussed Bush administration critic and former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV about three weeks before the name of Wilson's wife, covert CIA operative Valerie Plame, appeared in a syndicated column written by Robert D. Novak.

The publication of Plame's identity ultimately led to Fitzgerald's investigation of whether Plame's name was illegally leaked by administration officials in retaliation for Wilson's public criticism of the administration.


SNIPhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/11/AR2005101101606.html

[Patchuli]

1. I like how she's suddenly discovered notes! LOL nt

[hang a left]

2. Which is it?

Was she questioned today..or is she gonna be questioned tomorrow? Why can't these stories get themselves straight?

[Garbo 2004]

3. Miller questioned by Fitz today (Tues), will testify to GJ Wednesday. n/t

[Kagemusha]

4. Fitz today, grand jury tomorrow.

No more complicated than that but I guess people do a poor job of explaining.

[Bumblebee]

5. Interesting that Fitz AND HER LAWYER

urged her to go through her old notes...

[texpatriot2004]

23. Indeed that is interesting that her lawyer would also urge her.nm

[Garbo 2004]

6. I like how Judy was "urged" by Fitz and her lawyer to go back & look

for as yet undisclosed notes. That's a nice touch considering the source of the report was someone on Judy's legal team.

"After Miller testified before the grand jury Sept. 30, a source close to Miller said, Fitzgerald and her lawyer urged her to go back through her old notes and turn over any that involved Libby or would be relevant to the case, the source said."

Meaning there was good reason for her lawyer to encourage her to look for more notes after Fitz "urged" her to do so. One assumes Fitz just didn't simply say pretty please or appeal to her sense of civic duty to motivate her to look for docs she hadn't previously turned over.

And maybe it's just a casual use of language but "any that involved Libby or would be relevant to the case" seems broader than the repoted scope of her testimony she agreed to with Fitz. Had anything changed to widen the scope of her testimony?

[cassiepriam]

60. Damn, I would hate to be on the wrong side of Fitz....

This man has got the bad guys on the run.
Go Fitz.

[Pirate Smile]

WP: Special Prosecutor Again Queries Reporter (Miller)

Special Prosecutor Again Queries Reporter

By Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Page A02

New York Times reporter Judith Miller yesterday answered questions about a previously undisclosed conversation she had with Vice President Cheney's chief of staff in June 2003, as a special prosecutor moved to decide whether to bring charges in his investigation of how a covert CIA operative's identity was leaked to reporters.

Special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald questioned Miller about notes she said she discovered last week involving a June 23, 2003, conversation with Cheney's top aide, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, according to a source familiar with Miller's account.

According to the source, the notes reveal that the two discussed Bush administration critic and former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV about three weeks before the name of Wilson's wife, covert CIA operative Valerie Plame, appeared in a syndicated column written by Robert D. Novak.

-snip-
One source close to Miller said it appears that the notes were Fitzgerald's first indication that Miller and Libby had spoken in June.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/11/AR2005101101606.html

[Pirate Smile]

7. more

"Numerous lawyers involved in the 22-month-old investigation said they are bracing for Fitzgerald to bring criminal charges against administration officials. They speculated, based on his questions, that he may be focused on charges of false statements, obstruction of justice or violations of the Espionage Act involving the release of classified government information to unauthorized persons. The grand jury's term is to expire Oct. 28.

-snip-
After Miller testified before the grand jury Sept. 30, a source close to Miller said, Fitzgerald and her lawyer urged her to go back through her old notes and turn over any that involved Libby or would be relevant to the case, the source said.

A June 2003 conversation about Wilson between Milller and Libby occurred at a time of growing White House concern about the former ambassador after a May 6 column in the New York Times and a June 12 article in The Washington Post. Without using Wilson's name, the reports drew attention to a CIA-sponsored mission that found no evidence for a Bush administration claim used to justify war with Iraq: that Iraq was trying to purchase uranium in Niger for use in developing nuclear weapons. The CIA sent Wilson to Niger to investigate the claim.

Miller's lawyer, Robert Bennett, and a spokeswoman for the Times yesterday declined to discuss the focus of Fitzgerald's questions. They also refused to discuss whether Fitzgerald indicated that he is finished questioning her or whether she is now free to speak or write publicly about her testimony.

[Tesibria]

8. Judy Miller Turns Over MORE Notes; NYT to Report on "Entanglement"

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-CIA-Leak-Investigation.html

Filed at 9:25 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- New York Times reporter Judith Miller turned over additional notes and underwent questioning by prosecutors Tuesday in the criminal probe of the Bush administration's leak of a covert CIA officer's identity.

In a memo to its staff, the newspaper said Miller will appear Wednesday before a federal grand jury in the investigation, her second grand jury appearance in recent days.

The Times said that it is preparing a story about Miller's ''entanglement with the White House leak investigation'' and that the story will be completed when the reporter finishes her cooperation with prosecutors.

...more...

holy cow

[lancdem]

9. So these are new notes?

My head is spinning with all the twists and turns in this case!

[Tesibria]

11. I THINK so

trying to figure that out too -- but she turned over the June 23 last week ... and this report says that TODAY, she turned over "additional notes".

Interesting the way the NYT described the promised upcoming story -- her "entanglement" ... that's ... well .. interesting.

[hang a left]

10. So she is cooperating huh?

I speculated that she made her deal before she left jail.

[missouri dem 2]

15. I think she made the deal today after she got caught

perjuring herself last week.

[hang a left]

20. I think she made her deal in jail, or even before she went to jail.

It looks like Fitz and Judy might have set Libby up.

[hang a left]

22. Remember she is probably thigh deep in the Franklin case. n/t

[texpatriot2004]

25. No doubt she would like to play "let's make a deal" now nm

[applegrove]

12. Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Rove (someone who gave a waver)

stipulate that it was only for discussions in July? Wonder what that is about. And if the prosecutor can break that.

Was it cooper? I cannot recall. But someone got a waver that stipulated only July.

Hmmm.

Curiouser

[UpInArms]

13. oh what an entangled web they wove

an hopefully we will catch
more than rove

[joemurphy]

14. Holy cow! This is great!

This puts Jayson Blair to shame...First she's a First Amendment martyr and now she's "entangled". This is great theater folks!

[Tesibria]

18. teehee

i agree .... it's totally WILD. That Left Wing Pantheon NYT ..... entangled. i luv it.

[Carolab]

16. This "deal" is over the AIPAC scandal. BET on it. n/t

[texpatriot2004]

71. I agree, got any thoughts on this? Have you seen this thread?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=5054112

[DoYouEverWonder]

17. The NYT is finally going to publish a story

about Judith's involvement, oh excuse me, entanglemnent in the next day or two. We must be getting down to the wire folks.

[Pirate Smile]

19. It is an AP story, not a NYT story - just to clarify. The NYT have been

scared of their shadow on this one.

[Tesibria]

21. Correct - sorry if I created confusion - per the AP, the NYT will

publish a story....

[texpatriot2004]

24. Well, how about them apples?

Miller's ''entanglement with the White House leak investigation''

[daleo]

29. It will be more complicated than quantum entanglement. n/t

[OKNancy]

61. THis article from yesterday also contains

this:

In another development, four senior House Democrats wrote to Mr. Fitzgerald in a letter dated Oct. 12, urging him to issue a final report to Congress when he concludes his inquiry. Such a report, they said, should address "all indictments, convictions and any decisions not to prosecute."

The letter was signed by the top Democrats on their respective committees: John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, Judiciary Committee; Jane Harman of California, Intelligence Committee; and Tom Lantos of California, International Relations Committee. The letter was also signed by Rush D. Holt of New Jersey, the senior Democrat on the intelligence panel's policy subcommittee.

A report, the letter said, would assure the public that "the investigation of this serious matter has been undertaken with utmost diligence and has been free of partisan, political influence."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/12/politics/12leak.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1129144145-gW2XRHX2BbvFCLgqZHfBHA
Title: Times Reporter to Testify on Recently Found Notes

[Tight_rope]

63. Damn...She just needs to turn over all her notes from the last 5 years!

[goforit]

68. YES!!!...This would most definitely provide the whole picture!!

[longship]

26. "Entanglement" is a troubling word for Ms. Miller.

For a reporter to become entangled in a story like this is a career ruining situation. What are the chances that NYT cuts her loose?

[Tesibria]

27. WSJ: NYT: Miller "Not Yet Clear of Legal Jeopardy"

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB112907415441266084.html?mod=politics_primary_hs

...
Until now, Mr. Fitzgerald appeared to be focusing on conversations between White House officials such as Mr. Libby and Karl Rove, President Bush's senior political adviser, after Mr. Wilson wrote his op-ed. The defense by Republican operatives has been that White House officials didn't name Ms. Plame, and that any discussion of her was in response to reporters' questions about Mr. Wilson, the kind of casual banter that occurs between sources and reporters.
...
Lawyers familiar with the investigation believe that at least part of the outcome likely hangs on the inner workings of what has been dubbed the White House Iraq Group. Formed in August 2002, the group, which included Messrs. Rove and Libby, worked on setting strategy for selling the war in Iraq to the public in the months leading up to the March 2003 invasion. The group likely would have played a significant role in responding to Mr. Wilson's claims.
...
In a memo to staffers yesterday, New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller confirmed that Ms. Miller would return to the grand jury "to supplement her earlier testimony," and noted that this means Ms. Miller is "not yet clear of legal jeopardy."

Mr. Keller had earlier said the paper would publish a full account of everything Ms. Miller knew, but her continuing legal exposure has prevented the Times from doing so. Mr. Keller said yesterday in his memo that once Ms. Miller's "obligations to the grand jury are fulfilled, we intend to write the most thorough story we can of her entanglement with the White House leak investigation."

[HuffleClaw]

28. this 'last minute' squirming

is not going to help them one little bit. they are completely panicked and it shows.

[pearl]

30. Miller changed lawyers in mid stream

Her first lawyer: Floyd Abrams, renowned 1st amendment lawyer. but now Bob Bennet: criminal lawyer I believe. one of Cintons
lawyers during impeachment.

[paineinthearse]

31. DAVID JOHNSTON: Times Reporter to Testify on Recently Found Notes

http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000271.htm
Blogged by JC on 10.11.05 @ 10:55 PM ET

More on Rove-Gate

Now that it has been reported, I can add to my earlier entry ("Conyers: the stonewall" IN THE POLITICS FORUM) that I, and four of my Democrattic colleagues have written to Mr. Fitzgerald requesting a report on all decisions relating to Rove-Gate, including decisions to prosecute, convictions and any decisions not to prosecute after he concludes his inquiry. The New York Times has the story.

The judicial system and the Special Prosecutor must play their respective roles in this matter, free from politics. After that, the Congress must exercise its oversight responsibilities over the Justice Department's handling of this matter and its constituional responsibilities. The public, too, is owed a full accounting of the Administration's conduct in this scandal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/12/politics/12leak.html

October 12, 2005
Times Reporter to Testify on Recently Found Notes
By DAVID JOHNSTON

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 - Judith Miller, the reporter for The New York Times who spent 85 days in jail before cooperating with a federal grand jury investigating a C.I.A. leak case, will testify again on Wednesday after discussions with the prosecutor about a conversation she had in June 2003 with a senior White House official. "Judy met this afternoon with the special counsel to hand over additional notes and answer questions," Bill Keller, The Times's executive editor, said in a message to the staff on Tuesday afternoon. "She is to return to the grand jury Wednesday to supplement her earlier testimony."

Ms. Miller's meeting with the prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, focused on notes that she found in the Times newsroom in Manhattan after her appearance before the grand jury on Sept. 30. She took the notes during a conversation on June 23, 2003, with I. Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff.

An entry in her notes referred to Joseph C. Wilson IV, the former ambassador whose criticisms of the Bush administration's Iraq policy had begun circulating in the capital in the spring and summer of 2003. Mr. Wilson's critique was based on a trip he had taken to Africa in 2002 to examine whether Iraq had sought nuclear material from Niger. Ms. Miller's lawyer, Robert S. Bennett, said he would not discuss her meeting with the prosecutor.

On July 6, 2003, Mr. Wilson wrote an Op-Ed article in The Times in which he said that the C.I.A. had sent him on the mission to Africa after Mr. Cheney's office raised questions about an intelligence report on possible Iraqi purchases of uranium ore. Mr. Wilson concluded in the article that it was "highly doubtful" that any sale had taken place.

more.....

[hiley]

32. Congressman Conyers is always

a step ahead.
So much going on with the CIA leak investigation it is moving quickly the last few days. Expanding too!

Trying to drum up support for the big plan..
http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000269.htm

[paineinthearse]

33. Marilyn

You are the only the third of forth DU'er I've seen who has actually posted a link to Conyers blog!

:hug:

[hiley]

36. one of the other two

must be understandinglife.....;)

[Carolab]

39. Here's the direct link.

http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000270.htm

If that isn't enough, read this sentence from the very end of one of the O'Donnell pieces very carefully: "Prediction: at least three high level Bush Administration personnel indicted and possibly one or more very high level unindicted co-conspirators."

[alcibiades_mystery]

34. I thought the notes were "found" in the Washington bureau?

That's what others were saying. Now they were "found" in Mahattan?

[hang a left]

38. They were being kept safe in a safe.

I am telling you Miller set up Libby. Why would she leak his letter?

[goforit]

35. Interesting turn of events.

I feel we(DUrs) have been playing an intense game of CLUE.

Where is Professor Plum?

[texpatriot2004]

40. He's in the kitchen and he's cooked...Col. Mustard found nearby

in the dining room.

[paineinthearse]

37. WTF?????

Why was this just-blogged piece announcing the NY Times article APPENDED TO AN UNRELATED WAPO PIECE???

I've reposted the stand-alone Conyers/Johnston news in Gen at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5038551&mesg_id=5038551

This will probably be deleted, but I am livid!

[populistdriven]

67. Once again, Conyers volunteers to be point man for ALL Dems

[madinmaryland]

41. Judith Miller to testify for a second time tomorrow.

Just in from CNN on Anderson Cooper. Will follow up with more info.

No more details at this time

Here's a GD post, if someone puts the link on that thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5036142

[Benhurst]

42. I'm beginning to think Fitzgerald may be Santa. He sure

seems to know who's been naughty and who's been nice.

:popcorn:

[Skink]

46. Maybe she found some more notes.

:nopity:

[madinmaryland]

47. Looks like they are all starting to run around

like chickens with their head cut off. After seeing KKKRove go back last week, and now Miller, something is going on.

[TroglodyteScholar]

43. Wonder if this means..

...that she "forgot" something or conveniently left out some details.

Mmmm popcorn.

[HereSince1628]

44. Do we assume this was worked out in a meeting today?

I haven't read anything recapping a Miller-Fitz meeting today.

[capi888]

45. Seems So

I heard a report that she was in Fitz's office for 8 hrs today...Now she has to appear tomorrow....Something is up...

[HereSince1628]

49. Do you have a link where you read that, I missed anything reported

[snippy]

53. self delete

[HereSince1628]

55. thanks.

[capi888]

54. Sorry...don't have a link...I heard it

On CNN earlier...I have the news station on most of the day. So caught it in one of the reports. I believe it was on "The Situation Room" by one of the guests and don't remember his name...that Judy spent 8 hrs with Fitz in his office.

[librechik]

58. just reported by Keith on MSNBC

no link yet

[katty]

52. You don't keep going to the Principal's office if nothing's wrong

[Pithy Cherub]

48. Heat now on high, blast furnace high!

:popcorn:

Pssst, please add a link as soon as possible...

[madinmaryland]

50. Nothing yet.

As soon as I see anything I will!

[leveymg]

51. Why don't they just put the GJ on C-SPAN? It would save us all

so much speculation. Naw, that's half the fun!:+

[snippy]

56. link

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051011/pl_nm/bush_leak_dc

[UpInArms]

57. the GJ gift that keeps on giving

[Garbo 2004]

59. I first saw it on Editor and Publisher. They've been following the case

apparently have sources inside the NYT.

Miller Must Testify (Again) to Grand Jury on Wednesday
By E&P Staff
Published: October 11, 2005 7:55 PM ET

NEW YORK After meeting again with the federal prosecutor in the Plame leak case, New York Times reporter Judith Miller must testify again before the grand jury on Wednesday.

The prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, had summoned her for the meeting today after she reportedly remembered her previously unknown June 23, 2003, meeting with I. Lewis Libby, and sent the prosecutor the notes of the meeting. But it was not known if he would actually ask her to testify again.

The news emerged in an e-mail sent by the Times' executive editor, Bill Keller, to staff this afternoon, which was obtained by E&P. Keller hit back at "armchair critics" in the memo.

Keller wrote: "Judy met this afternoon with the special counsel to hand over additional notes and answer questions. She is to return to the grand jury Wednesday to supplement her earlier testimony. We'll be reporting this in the paper, of course. It means that for a couple more days she remains under a contempt-of-court order, and is not yet clear of legal jeopardy.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001264616

[Tight_rope]

62. I love this part of the article the most

"Libby and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove have both testified that they mentioned Wilson's wife to reporters during the summer of 2003 but did not reveal her name or her covert status, according to sources".:wow:

Dumbasses Libby and KKKarl think that we are stoopid. That we actually believe that they would talk to reporters and not give them information to protect their scandals involving WMD. :spank:

What I would like to ask both of these jackasses, is "why did you talk to the reporters about Valerie anyway. What was your purpose in bringing up her name". If they could/would answer that question, I'm sure they would burn in hell for all the details that go into the story.:nuke: :puke: Punks!

[CatWoman]

64. WSJ: Focus of CIA Leak Probe Appears to Widen

By JOHN D. MCKINNON, JOE HAGAN and ANNE MARIE SQUEO
Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
October 12, 2005; Page A3

The New York Times reporter who went to jail to avoid testifying in the CIA leak case was quizzed by the special prosecutor again yesterday and has agreed to return to the grand jury today.

Judith Miller's additional testimony comes as the endgame is intensifying in the legal chess match that threatens to damage the Bush administration.

There are signs that prosecutors now are looking into contacts between administration officials and journalists that took place much earlier than previously thought. Earlier conversations are potentially significant, because that suggests the special prosecutor leading the investigation is exploring whether there was an effort within the administration at an early stage to develop and disseminate confidential information to the press that could undercut former Ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife, Central Intelligence Agency official Valerie Plame.

Mr. Wilson had become a thorn in the Bush administration's side, as he sought to undermine the administration's claims that Iraq had sought to buy materials for building nuclear weapons from other countries, such as uranium "yellowcake" from Niger. Ultimately, his wife's name and identity were disclosed in a newspaper column, prompting the investigation into whether someone in the administration broke the law by revealing the identity of an undercover agent.

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB112907415441266084-VDsI1ez92Qlr0_XPP5IbwfiUKHI_20051111.html?mod=blogs

[electropop]

65. Sweeet!

Fitz is having a field day. He's going to keep finding more crimes until the very last second.

[madokie]

66. This picture tells me we have a capable and determined prosecutor

That understands the gravity of the situation. I'm putting back mothers little helpers cause there will be cause for a :party: soon.:beer:

[Tight_rope]

70. I hope Harrison Ford gets to play Fitz's part when the movie comes out!

And what a movie it will be. "THE FALL OF THE COMMANDER AND CHIEF". I love that title. Has a great ring to it.:think:

[mike6640]

69. Sounds like she copped a plea to avoid

Perjury and obstruction charges. They allow her to go though her notes "one more time". She finds her notes which Fitz already knew she had in her posession.

M