Valeri Plame had not been a covert agent since it was discovered that Aldrich Ames had given her name to the Soviets. She was outed then and recalled to Washington.
Before being exposed as a covert CIA agent by Aldridge Ames in 1994, Valerie Plame was a behind the Iron Curtain Spook. Langley extracted her and made her a Desk Jockey. This can turn an action craving person into a "disgruntled employee". The Wilsons wanted to live the life of a Washington Power Couple.
Then why the investigation?
If she is not a secret agent, why all the fuss with the media? Everything seemed to be based on the fact that she was working as an agent when, in fact, she is not. I saw somewhere that she was an office secretary for the CIA. Is that true?