Each instance of disclosure of Plame's identity would be a separate crime.

[dogday]

Somebody posted this link and I read it and at the bottom was the statement above. So every time Plame was identified, it is a separate crime. How many crimes could be charged?



http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,724804,00.html

[Kagemusha]

1. That's all if the same conditions apply.

Let me walk you through this.

Unknown official informs Rove, Scooter Libby and so on that "Joe Wilson's wife" is a CIA employee covering weapons of mass destruction but does NOT tell them that she is Non-Official Cover (NOC). Rove, Libby etc. go spread the word that Wilson's wife is CIA and that this is nepotism, a private political agenda, this is not to be believed, President's enemies in the CIA trying to undermine the case against Saddam Hussein and vigilance against the Arab Atom Bomb threat, etc etc.

Because Rove, Libby etc. do not KNOW that she is undercover, and do not care enough to find out for themselves, they shield themselves from knowingly divulging her undercover status. (In other words, don't ask, don't tell, and everyone's ok!) This also applies to the reporters who will actually do the divulging to the public on double-deep cross my heart background.

A lot hinges on who this unknown official is, and whether what Rove and Libby did is sufficient for the purposes of charging them with felony conspiracy, which qualifies them for being charged with leaking the identity themselves because they conspired with the person who leaked it to THEM, because THEY were obviously not authorized to get this information in the first place. NOC means no one's supposed to know that she works for the CIA **AT** **ALL**.

Hope this clears things up. :)

[leveymg]

2. Could be 6 counts - one for each journo contacted.

Article is interesting in that it positively IDs Scooter as the second source, and raises the question about who their source was for information about Plame. It assumes it was a 3rd gov't official - that points toward Cheney, who originally tasked Wilson to go to Niger to check on the Iraqi yellow cake sale story.

Certainly, Cheney would have the security clearances to know about Plame's undercover role, which was first publicly revealed by Novak. Others have speculated that Miller might be the source for Rove and/or Scooter - this can't be ruled out, until the indictments are unsealed, that is.

After Novak's publication, the counts would stop, as her undercover identity would henceforth be public knowledge.

[lovuian]

3. Now we are clocking in some major prison time and tack on

perjury obstruction of justice and abuse of power and thats alot of hours!!!

[dogday]

4. That's what I was thinking... n/t