Secret Papers Could Halt CIA Case

[cal04]

Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff intends to load up his criminal trial with information about nine national security matters, the names of foreign leaders and details about various terrorist groups, according to court filings in the Valerie Plame leak case.

The papers filed this week hint at what has been taking place behind closed doors as Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald tries to limit the amount of classified data that I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby is permitted to use at his trial, scheduled for January.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton is asking whether classified evidence would overlap with what Libby is likely to say in his testimony. Libby's attorneys have said he will take the witness stand to deny lying to the FBI in its investigation of the disclosure of Plame's identity to the media.

Even if prosecutors agreed ahead of time about the importance of the "nine national security matters" he wants to disclose, Libby would be entitled to introduce additional evidence, the lawyers wrote.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/06/AR2006100601499.html

[Orrex]

1. Clearly this shouldn't be permitted

By Libby's logic, any highly placed gov't official can make himself immune to any prosecution simply by dumping a shitload of classified material onto the "evidence" pile.

[Divine Discontent]

2. is that sorta what happened

with the iran contra affair, at all?

[mrdmk]

3. Of course, they tried and did slow down the process, but...

<snip>
Oliver North and John Poindexter were indicted on multiple charges on March 16, 1988. North, indicted on 12 counts, was found guilty by a jury of three minor counts. The convictions were vacated on appeal on the grounds that North's Fifth Amendment rights may have been violated by the indirect use of his testimony to Congress which had been given under a grant of immunity. In 1990, Poindexter was convicted on several felony counts of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and altering and destroying documents pertinent to the investigation. His convictions were also overturned on appeal on similar grounds. The Independent Counsel, Lawrence E. Walsh, chose not to re-try North or Poindexter. Weinberger was indicted for lying to the Independent Counsel but was later pardoned by President George H.W. Bush.
<end of snip>

link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran-Contra_Affair

Casper Weinberger was the big deal and had the goods on everyone. Before he went to court Mr. Bush Sr. pardon him and the case was not pursued by Mr. Clinton to A) Preserve the peace and B) It was probably not worth it at that point. But there were convictions!

[Divine Discontent]

4. TY

so, Ollie is a convict, so to speak? I like that.


I can't believe all the stuff that's going down lately in our country and gov't... just amazing (carville/kerry, andy card/his cousin, and of course foley coverup)