Plame investigation 2005
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Contents |
2004
2005
February 2005
February 15
- The Federal appeals court in Washington rules that Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper may have witnessed a federal crime (disclosure by government officials of a CIA officer's identity), and may not claim journalistic privilege and refuse to testify.
March 2005
March 23
- Thirty-six major news organizations move to file a friend of court brief in support of Judith Miller, Matthew Cooper, and Time, Inc. In addition to making First Amendment protection of sources arguments, the brief from the news organizations argues against the idea that a crime was committed.
June 2005
June 22
- Bloomberg News reports that Scooter Libby testified he had first learned the identity of Plame from Tim Russert. (Bloomberg; WaPo)
June 27
- The Supreme Court refuses to hear the appeal of reporters Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper.
June 30
- Time magazine agrees to comply with court order to hand over Matthew Cooper's notes, emails and other documents surrounding the leak case.
Rove revealed as Cooper's source
July 2005
July 1
- Lawrence O’Donnell appears on the McLaughlin Group and claims that the primary Plame leaker was Karl Rove ( O'Donnell at HuffPo).
July 2
- Newsweek publishes an article naming Karl Rove as Matthew Cooper's source.
July 6
- 7:30 a.m. EST (approx.) - in the morning, Matthew Cooper prepares to leave for court, resigned that he may end up in jail for refusing to reveal his source. His lawyer, Richard Sauber, calls to alert him to a statement from Robert Luskin (Karl Rove's lawyer) in The Wall Street Journal which states:
- "If Matt Cooper is going to jail to protect a source," Mr. Luskin told The Journal, "it's not Karl he's protecting."
- Sauber expess the opnion that may be construed as a specific waiver. Cooper and Sauber concure to have Sauber call Luskin to verfy that this can be taken as a waiver to testify.
- Sauber, calls Luskin and asks for reassurance that the earlier waiver encompassed Rove's discussions with Cooper.
- Luskin checks with Patrick Fitzgerald as to whether more specific consent was necessary, Fitzgerald says no there doesn't need to be a more specific waiver.
- Luskin relays to Sauber that the waiver does release Cooper.
- 2:05 p.m. EST - Cooper tells Judge Thomas F. Hogan of the Federal District Court in Washington that he had received "in a somewhat dramatic fashion, I received an express personal release from my source."
- This statement surprises Luskin, saying he had only reaffirmed the blanket waiver, in response to a request from Fitzgerald.
- Judith Miller is sent to jail for contempt of court, for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury subpoena.
- Joseph Wilson makes a statement on the Miller sentencing.
July 10
- Karl Rove’s lawyer Robert Luskin says that Rove discussed Plame’s role with Matthew Cooper of Time Magazine but did not name her.
July 11
- White House spokesman Scott McClellan fends off questions about his previous declarations that Karl Rove was not involved.
July 13
- Journalist Matthew Cooper of Time testifies before the grand jury. Cooper spends 2.5 hours before the panel. In this appearance, Cooper confirms that his source on the leak was Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove. He also tells the grand jury that he spoke with Scooter Libby on July 12th. (Time)
July 14
- Congressman John Conyers writes a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner requesting hearings on the Plame leak matter.
- Congressman Conyers writes a letter to President Bush, signed by 91 members of Congress, urging him to demand either that Karl Rove explain his role in the leak of Valerie Plame’s identity as an undercover CIA operative or that Karl Rove resign.
July 29
CIA officer Robert Grenier testifies before the grand jury. (trial, Jan. 24, 2007)
Rove revealed as Novak source
July 15
- David Johnson and Richard Stevenson in the New York Times reveal the July 8, 2003 conversation where Karl Rove was a confirming source to Robert Novak. (NYT)
- Anonymous lawyers begin pointing fingers at Ari Fleischer. (NY Daily News; emptywheel)
- Congressman John Conyers writes a letter with Rep. Barney Frank asking the Congressional Research Service if presidential advisors such as Karl Rove are subject to impeachment proceedings
July 17
- Matthew Cooper's article "What I Told the Grand Jury" is published in Time.
Unknown July
- Karl Rove offers to testify again, presumably to correct his earlier errors of fact, against the testimony of Matthew Cooper. The offer will not be taken up until October. (WaPo)
July 18
- Rep. Henry Waxman writes a letter to President Bush explaining that the President's responsibility under Executive Order 12958 to protect national security secrets requires the President to act before Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald completes his criminal investigation and to apply different standards and sanctions.
- President Bush comments on the Valerie Plame leak. “And if someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration.” The language ‘committed a crime’ is different from Bush’s earlier statements in which he said he would fire anyone who leaked the information.
July 22
- Bloomberg News reveals that Scooter Libby had claimed that he first learned the identity of Plame from Tim Russert. (Bloomberg)
July 29
- Susan B. Ralston and Israel Hernandez, aides to Karl Rove, testify before the grand jury. They are asked why Matthew Cooper's July 11, 2003 call to Rove was not entered in Rove's office telephone logs. (NYT, WaPo)
August 2005
August 12
- Deputy Attorney General James Comey delegates to Associate Deputy Attorney General David Margolis authority as Acting Attorney General with respect to the investigation. (Comey memo)
September 2005
September 12
- Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald writes a letter to Scooter Libby's lawyer concerning Libby's release of Judith Miller from confidentiality. The letter cites media accounts[1][2] to point out there may be misunderstanding between the parties on the issue. Fitzgerald says that communication from Libby to Miller reaffirming waiver would not be viewed as obstruction.
September 15
- Scooter Libby writes the "aspens turning" letter to Judith Miller in jail.
September 29
- Judith Miller is released from jail. (Philly Inquirer)
- Sources sympathetic to Scooter Libby leak details of his testimony about his conversations with Judith Miller to at least three media organizations. The details are published in an article by Susan Schmidt and Jim VandeHei in the Washington Post. (Murray Waas,emptywheel)
Libby revealed as Miller's source
September 30
- Judith Miller testifies before the grand jury (NYT). In her first testimony session, she says she does not remember her June 23 meeting with Scooter Libby, even when presented with White House visitation logs (Murray Waas).
- The New York Times confirms the Philadelphia Inquirer scoop of Scooter Libby as Miller's source.
October 2005
October 12
- Judith Miller again testifies before the grand jury (NYT). She turns over previously undisclosed notes from her previously undisclosed phone conversation with Scooter Libby (NY Observer).
October 14
- Karl Rove testifies before the grand jury. His testimony lasts 4-1/2 hours. He is asked about the discrepancies between his own earlier testimony and Matthew Cooper's account, and about why he did not did not initially tell federal agents about their July 11, 2003 conversation (AP, Newsweek, WaPo). He tells the grand jury that Scooter Libby may have told him that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA before her identity was revealed, and claims he and Libby were discussing information they had gotten from reporters (WaPo).
October 16
- Judith Miller's article My Four Hours Testifying in the Federal Grand Jury Room is published in the New York Times.
October 26
- Prosecutors re-interview press aide Adam Levine about his conversations with Karl Rove on the day Rove spoke with Cooper. (WaPo)
Before October 28
- Sometime in the "final weeks" before October 28, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward reveals to his editor Leonard Downie his involvement in the affair.
Libby indicted
October 28
- Grand Jury panel investigating the leak of Valerie Plame's identity to unauthorized people is set to expire.
- I. Lewis Libby is indicted by the grand jury on five counts:
- 1. Obstruction of justice (18 U.S.C. § 1503).
- 2. False statement, to FBI investigators, about his conversations with Tim Russert (18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2)).
- 3. False statement, to FBI investigators, about his conversations with Matthew Cooper (18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2)).
- 4. Perjury, in his March 5 2004 grand jury testimony about his conversations with Tim Russert (18 U.S.C. § 1623).
- 5. Perjury, in his March 5 and March 24 2004 grand jury testimony about his conversations with Matthew Cooper (18 U.S.C. § 1623).
- Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald holds a press conference. (transcript, press release)
- Mr. Libby resigns.
After October 28
- Following the press conference, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward suddenly realizes he is the first known reporter to have been given the leak. He calls his source asking for release from confidentiality. The source gives permission for purposes of talking to prosecutors, but not for publication. Richard Armitage discloses the leak conversation to the Special Counsel's office. (WaPo)
November 2005
November 2
- Dow Jones makes a motion to unseal redacted portions of the Court's opinion of February 15, 2005.
November 3
- I. Lewis Libby pleads not guilty on all charges. (AP,CNN,Salon,WaPo)
- Journalist Bob Woodward of the Washington Post is contacted by the Special Counsel's office. (WaPo)
November 10
- Journalist Viveca Novak of Time is interviewed by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald concerning her interactions with Karl Rove attorney Robert Luskin. (Time)
November 14
- Journalist Bob Woodward gives a deposition concerning his interviews of Scooter Libby and two other administration officials. (Woodward statement; WaPo)
Bob Woodward involvement revealed
November 16
- Bob Woodward's involvement is disclosed to the public in a statement in the Washington Post.
November 20
- Journalist Viveca Novak shares with her bureau chief that she has been interviewed by prosecutors concerning a story she is covering, and has now been asked to testify under oath. (Time)
December 2005
December 2
- Viveca Novak of Time gives a deposition about her contacts with Karl Rove attorney Robert Luskin. (CNN)
December 8
- Journalist Viveca Novak is deposed in the case. (AP, CNN, Time)
December 14
- The Libby defense sends a letter requesting discovery document production.
December 16
- President George W. Bush nominates Viveca Novak’s husband, Robert Lenhard, to the Federal Election Commission. (HuffPo)
