Posted on 10/07/2004 1:03:22 PM PDT by marineguy
This is an article that I think deserves some attention. Trust me, I have no love lost over a New York Times reporter getting a little jail time for outing a CIA-type, regardless of the fact that the CIA officer is married to an idiot, but why is it that the lukewarm "conservative"(?) Robert Novak can do the outing and no one seems to want to hold his feet to the fire?
By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - A federal judge held a reporter in contempt Thursday for refusing to divulge confidential sources to prosecutors investigating the leak of an undercover CIA (news - web sites) officer's identity.
U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan ordered New York Times reporter Judith Miller jailed until she agrees to testify about her sources before a grand jury, but said she could remain free while pursuing an appeal. Miller could be jailed up to 18 months.
Hogan cited Supreme Court rulings that reporters do not have absolute First Amendment protection from testifying about confidential sources. He said there was ample evidence that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald of Chicago, the special prosecutor in the CIA leak case, had exhausted other avenues of obtaining key testimony before issuing subpoenas to Miller and other reporters.
"The special counsel has made a limited, deferential approach to the press in this matter," Hogan said.
Fitzgerald is investigating whether a crime was committed when someone leaked the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame, whose name was published by syndicated columnist Robert Novak on July 14, 2003. Novak cited two "senior administration officials" as his sources.
The Novak column appeared after Plame's husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, was critical in a newspaper opinion piece of President Bush (news - web sites)'s claim that Iraq (news - web sites) sought to obtain uranium in Niger. The CIA had sent Wilson to Niger to investigate that claim, which he concluded was unfounded.
Miller's lawyer, Floyd Abrams, said he would quickly file notice of an appeal of Hogan's ruling with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He and Miller both noted that although she gathered material for a story about Plame, she never wrote one.
"I think it's really frightening when journalists can be put in jail for doing their job effectively," Miller told reporters outside the courthouse.
Fitzgerald also has issued subpoenas to reporters from NBC, Time magazine and The Washington Post. Some have agreed to provide limited testimony after their sources — notably Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who is Vice President Cheney's chief of staff — released them from their promise of confidentiality.
Miller and Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said they would not agree to provide testimony even under those circumstances.
Novak never has said whether he has been subpoenaed.
The DUmmies think this is the Dems Oct surprise ...
The only surprise (to Dims) is that Wilson outed Plame. Wilson, the self-absorbed egomaniac that he is, was worried that world wouldn't take his anit-Bush charges seriously. So to increase his credibility, he told some reporters "if you don't believe me, ask my wife. She's a CIA agent!" (Or words to that affect.)
Novak can't disclose that because he wants to protect his sources and he knows that MSM won't believe him. NYT can't disclose because they don't want to help Bush/Cheney.
We have held her in contempt for some time now.
Has anyone else heard the rumors about Miller and Saddam Hussein ? (Supposed to have happened quite a few years ago.)
bump
Please pay attention, people! This prosecutor is long past that point. It's clear there's a deeper conspiracy here amongst the media and the NYT is deep into it.
whats your speculation?
=== but why is it that the lukewarm "conservative"(?) Robert Novak can do the outing and no one seems to want to hold his feet to the fire?
Because they want only the left to be outraged over this.
This is an clear Republican dirty trick. Kerry needs every one at the NYT making stuff up in his favor that he can get and, in a close race, even one NYTer not fabricating could mean the difference!
unless there is a paper trail, they will never be able to establish anything by expecting media people to rat each other out. it just will not happen. the media is like an organized crime family, the only way they could break them is wiretaps, or some family member rating them out.
not me. tell!!!
I am lost in this story...what is everyones motivation beyond the obvious?
You can bet the farm that if the leaker were a highly placed official in the administration that the NYT would be shouting it from the rooftops by now.
Dollars to doughnuts it was a Dem holdover.
either it was an innocent revelation at a cocktail party by Wilson, that Novak decided to include in a story. Or, it was some structural plan with INTENT by Wilson along with members of the media to gin up a story - perhaps they even thought they could get an impeachment inquiry out of it.
either way, nobody from the media will talk and tell the complete truth. they have infinite money for lawyers to help them cut deals to reveal partial truths. and none of it will be enough to reveal the larger plot (if such exists).
Now, tell me that the prosecutor has some hard evidence: documents, wiretaps, a witness that has turned, emails - then I will change my mind.
there is no leaker - Wilson revealed it.
If I were the prosecutor, I'd simply say "no deal" until someone flipped.
The judge is gonna keep folks in jail until they are no longer in contempt.
Any thoughts/insights on this one PD?
I heard Bill Gersh on Rush the other day talking about the culture of the left that is deep in the CIA and State Dept. I think there is a huge behind the scene battle occuring.
That Judith Miller and Hussein slept together . Heard this from a pretty reliable source - a New York journalist.
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