Media move to quash subpoenas on CIA leak (Tim Russert subpoenaed)

Newsday ^ | 6.5.04

[ambrose]

Media move to quash subpoenas on CIA leak

BY TOM BRUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU

June 5, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Time magazine and NBC on Friday filed motions seeking to quash grand jury subpoenas issued last month to compel testimony from their reporters about whether Bush administration officials leaked the name of a covert CIA operative.

The motions, claiming reporters' privilege under the First Amendment, were filed under seal in U.S. District Court in Washington, Time and NBC said, and represent what many attorneys say could be an uphill battle because of unfavorable case law.

Time and NBC are fighting subpoenas issued May 21 by a Washington grand jury led by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, the U.S. attorney in Chicago named six months ago to probe the leak last year of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name to columnist Robert Novak and other journalists.

Fitzgerald, seeking the identity of the leaker or leakers, wants to question Matthew Cooper of Time and Tim Russert of NBC's "Meet the Press," who reported on the leak.

[ambrose]

What did Timmy know and when did he know it?

[cardinal4]

I still contend it was wilson who outed his wife..

[Cicero]

Hypocrites.

[ambrose]

Then why did that troll Novak say "administration officials"?

[Ron in Acreage]

They don't want the truth to come out that it was Wilson himself or a big dem who outed his wife.

[AngieGOP]

Then why did that troll Novak say "administration officials"?

Which admnistration? Clinton's?

[TomGuy]

It seems the libs have about milked the Abu Dabba Doo Prison dry, so they are dredging up the Pflume/Wilson case again.

If this won't fill more than a few day, look for them to rehash GWB's National Guard service again.

[Shermy]

Newsday is kind of coy here. They're in it just as much as Novak, Knut Royce' article quoting "intelligence" officials in his followup report.

There was a long list...weren't they all "subpoenaed"?

[swilhelm73]

Perhaps because Novak is no friend of Bush.

As we now know, between the facts that Plame's job was known to much of the Washington area press and she'd had her cover blown by Ames, the list of possible leakers is large.

The larger, and far more important, questions continue to be ignored though.

Who sent Wilson? His wife? His wife's boss who resigned after the story broke? If the latter, did his wife still play a part?

Also, seeing as Wilson is on the payroll of the government of Saudi Arabia, what role did the House of Saud play in all this? Certainly, their retainer being sent on a mission likely to, and then in fact, causing so much trouble for Bush couldn't have worked out any better for the Saudis...

[GraniteStateConservative]

You can't really poo-poo a grand jury indictment. This would have legs.

[ambrose]

With so many news organizations in on this leak, I am surprised the name of the leaker hasn't leaked out by now.

[bayourod]

I lean toward Richard Clarke. This was his area of speciality and he was feeing very insecure at that time.

[Lance Romance]

I agree, if Tim Russert had information to hurt Bush and help his good friend, Hillary (I trust we all remember the MTP love in, he would be talking faster than prisoner at Abu Ghirab with an electrode hooked to his testicles.

There is nothing here, but the media likes it better when they can rely on innuendo instead of facts.

[cardinal4]

I still dont trust him. When pressed for who told him, what better way to shift the spotlight away from him by blaming Bush? That is, of course, what this is all about. Novak got it from Wilson and blamed the Bush Admin. Just my opinion, but Wilson is weird, a proven liar, and a talker. He was quoted telling someone that when he and his wife were dating, they were making out and in the "heat of passion" she told him she was a spook. That just strikes me weird that this is public knowledge, yet they are still going after Bush..

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>I still contend it was wilson who outed his wife..

I think they could parade reporters in front of the grand jury, and they's all say that before the Novak story, they all knew who she was, and who she worked for...but they didn't report it. She was outed long beofre Novak published her name.

[bayourod]

Were I Russet's lawyers the first argument I would make is that there was no violation of any law because the bitch wasn't covered under the definition of an undercover operative, and that her name had already been made public by her husband.

They aren't going to get very far arguing that a reporter has a right to publish secret info.

[cardinal4]

I lean toward Richard Clarke. This was his area of speciality and he was feeing very insecure at that time.

He is reptililan enough to do it, Ill grant you. But the whole Wilson-CIA-Niger thing is very weird. There is a lot we dont know, but what we do, just doesnt make sense. Who sent Wilson over there in the first place? Another thing, wasnt she outed Ames before any of this happened? Naw, my moneys on Wilson. Just playing a part in the continuing anti-Bush movement. Everytime a new story loses legs or credibility, there is another one like this to take its place..

[Waco]

There is no reporter "special privledge". Saw a fed lawyer in a Paul Neuman movie say it.

[Smartass]