Froomkin: Did Cheney Tell Libby to Do It?

[laststeamtrain]

Did Cheney Tell Libby to Do It?

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, June 3, 2008; 1:55 PM

Former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby told the FBI that it was "possible" that Vice President Cheney instructed him to disseminate information about CIA agent Valerie Plame to the press, according to a redacted FBI report recently examined by Congressional investigators.

In part as a result of that revelation, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today reiterated its request for more Plame investigation documents -- including reports on the interviews investigators conducted with Cheney and President Bush.

In a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Committee Chairman Henry Waxman also writes that "ew revelations by former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan raise additional questions about the actions of the President and the Vice President. Mr. McClellan has stated that 'he President and Vice President directed me to go out there and exonerate Scooter Libby.' He has also asserted that 'the top White House officials who knew the truth -- including Rove, Libby, and possibly Vice President Cheney -- allowed me, even encouraged me, to repeat a lie.' It would be a major breach of trust if the Vice President personally directed Mr. McClellan to mislead the public."

Back in December, I wrote about how special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald had agreed to give congressional investigators key documents from his investigation into the leak -- until the White House intervened. Waxman then asked the newly-installed attorney general to show some independence from his White House masters and release the documents. Committee investigators were eventually allowed to read redacted versions of the reports on interviews with senior administration officials, including Libby and Rove, but not Cheney or Bush.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2008/06/03/BL2008060301890.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

[pacalo]

1. I remember reading that Libby wasn't a maverick type of guy, that he wouldn't take it upon himself

to act without having been given instructions from his boss.

[Truth2Tell]

2. Alleged Libby Grand Jury transcripts posted here...

http://libbywatcher.blogspot.com/