Democrats' letter: Rove must explain role in CIA outing or resign [Drafted by John Conyers, D-MI]

LIberal blog | July 5, 2005 | John Conyers, D-MI

[summer]

The draft of this letter, dated July 7, is currently published on a liberal blog:

July 7, 2005

The President
The White House
Washington, DC

Dear Mr. President:

We write in order to urge that you require your Deputy White House Chief of Staff, Karl Rove, to either come forward immediately to explain his role in the Valerie Plame matter or to resign from your Administration.

Notwithstanding whether Mr. Rove intentionally violated the law in leaking information concerning former CIA operative Valerie Plame, we believe it is not tenable to maintain Mr. Rove as one of your most important advisors unless he is willing to explain his central role in using the power and authority of your Administration to disseminate information regarding Ms. Plame and to undermine her husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson.

We now know that e-mails recently turned over by Time, Inc. between writer Matthew Cooper and Time editors reveal that one of Mr. Cooper’s principal sources in the Plame matter was Mr. Rove. This has been confirmed by Newsweek and two lawyers representing witnesses involved in the investigation. Mr. Rove’s attorney, Robert Luskin, also has confirmed that Mr. Rove was interviewed by Mr. Cooper in connection with a possible article about Ms. Plame three or four days before Robert Novak wrote a column outing Ms. Plame as a CIA operative.

We also know that Mr. Rove told Chris Matthews that Ambassador Wilson’s wife and her undercover status were “fair game.” A White House source also appears to have previously acknowledged that Mr. Rove contacted Mr. Matthews and other journalists, indicating that “it was reasonable to discuss who sent Wilson to Niger.”

The above facts appear to be directly inconsistent with previous statements by you and representatives of your Administration concerning leaking in general and the Plame case in particular. For example, on September 30, 2003, you stated “there’s just too many leaks [in Washington]. And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is.” You also stated “I want to know the truth. If anybody has got any information inside our administration or outside our administration, it would be helpful if they came forward with the information so we can find out whether or not these allegations are true and get on about the business.” On October 10, 2003, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan was asked if Mr. Rove or two other aides in your Administration had ever discussed the Plame matter with any reporter, and he stated he had spoken to Mr. Rove and the others and “they assured me that they were not involved in this.”

Regardless of whether these actions violate the law – including specific laws against the disclosure of classified information as well as broader laws against obstruction of justice, the negligent distribution of defense information, and obligating reporting of press leaks to proper authorities – they seem to reveal a course of conduct designed to threaten and intimidate those who provide information critical of your Administration, such as Ambassador Wilson.

We hope you agree with us that such behavior should never be tolerated by any Administration. While it is acceptable for a private citizen to use every legal tool at his or her disposal to protect himself against legal liability, high-ranking members of your Administration who are involved in any effort to smear a private citizen or to disseminate information regarding a CIA operative should be expected to meet a far higher standard of ethical behavior and forthrightness. This is why we believe it is so important that Mr. Rove publicly and fully explain his role in this matter.

Sincerely,

/s

[roses of sharon]

Get lost Olberman!

[ladyinred]

What do we care about what that Marxist Conyers thinks should happen? I think he should be thrown out of his position, but does anyone listen to me? No, and they shouldn't listen to him either.

[freedumb2003]

Dear Mr. Conyers

I have filed your letter where it can do the most good.

Sincerely,

Dubya

[summer]

I actually try to be objective about legal matters, but in this matter, I can't help but conclude the Dem leaders are looking pretty desperate.

It will be interesting to see which Dem leaders sign this letter -- as the recent article below says the reason Howard Dean is the only Dem leader talking about getting rid of corruption is because the all the other Dem leaders are basically up to their earlobes in it:

Dean slam at GOP puts Democrats in tricky spot

[summer]

FYI.

[cyncooper]

Thanks for the ping!

[Americanexpat]

The Dems are pretty desperate, they keep throwing crap against the wall hoping some of it will stick. So far it has been pretty flaky.

[NetValue]

Conyers is an ass. We all know the person who lied was none other than the partisan Amb. Joe Wilson, her husband.