Witnesses today will be:
Ms. Valerie Plame Wilson, former employee, Central Intelligence Agency
Panel I.
Dr. James Knodell, Director, Office of Security, The White House
Mr. Bill Leonard, Director, Information Security Oversight Office, National Archives and Records Administration
Panel II.
Mr. Mark Zaid, Attorney - See background here.
Ms. Victoria Toensing, diGenova & Toensing, LLP - See background here,.
Links:
- The Non-Grand Jury materials.
By: EmptyWheel.
Emptywheel analyzes what we know and what is missing because the grand jury didn't investigate it for the Libby trial. Be sure you read this. - Well that was interesting.
By: Jane Hamsher.
Commentary on the days' testimony. The single most important thing to come out according to Jane was "...from Dr. James Knodell, who — as Director of the Office of Security at the The White House — admitted that there has been absolutely no investigation into the leaking of Plame's identity by employee Karl Rove."
Henry Waxman sets the scene for the Hearings by questions of Valerie Plame - Head of CIA says Valerie Wilson was a covert officer
By: Christie Hardin Smith
"Gen Hayden, current head of the CIA, Valerie Plame Wilson was a covert CIA agent at the time that her name was published by Robert Novak."
Valerie Plame briefly explains how badly outing her secret identity damaged American security. [Details omitted for security reasons.] - 8. Waxman Hearing, Panel II – Part II
By: Christie Hardin Smith
“Zaid talks about the jeopardy involved in the exposure of a CIA agent.”
Victoria Toensing argues that Valerie Plame was NOT covert under the Act – her expertise is that she helped write the act 25 years ago, but has no definitive information of Plame’s status from the CIA. She also wants to carefully define what a “leak” is before she will discuss whether the White House leaked the name of a covert CIA agent.
The Congresspersons were not satisfied with Toensing’s dancing around answers to the questions she was asked, one accused her of defining the terms so narrowly that her answers could be interpreted as correct but that they were meaningless. Chairman Waxman stated that he felt some of her answers were wrong, so that he would hold the record open while they were checked against various sourced including the Libby trial record and Patrick Fitzgerald. - 7. Waxman Hearing, Panel II – Part I
By: Christie Hardin Smith
“Panel number two is upcoming: Mark Zaid and Victoria Toensing will be giving testimony. Wondering who Mark Zaid is? Well lookee here. And Victoria Toensing? Try reading here for starters.” - 6. Waxman Hearing, Panel I -- Part III
By: Christie Hardin Smith
Dr. James Knodell questioning is continued.
“Rep. Waxman goes into the Woodward discussion of having extensive access to classified information when covering the WH in his books. Points out that when a critic discloses anything critical of the Administration, there is an immediate outcry from the WH. But when they disclose information, it is well within their purview to do so, according to the WH. This approach is inconsistent — and appears to be political in their approach to enforcement." - 5. Waxman Hearing, Panel I -- Part II
By: Pachacutec
Dr. James Knodell, Director, Office of Security, The White House, is questioned. - 4. Waxman Hearing, Panel I -- Part I
By: Pachacutec
The point is made that the White House security people did not look into the leak of Plame’s name to the press. No one did until, months later, Patrick Fitzgerald began his investigation. The fact that classified information was given to the Press was of no interest to the White House. - 3. Valerie Plame Wilson, Part III
By: Pachacutec
“Valerie Plame Wilson: "I cannot begin to speculate on what Karl Rove's intentions were."
“And FYI, there is a memo written by the CPD officer that contradicts the Senate Committee Report's conclusions on the mission to Niger, and Waxman will be asking for that memo.”
“Valerie answers that she was working on investigation of Iraq WMD. Holmes Norton [asks] the effects of the outing of a covert operative. [Response] Possible death of an agent and of others connected to the agent. - 2. Valerie Plame Wilson, Part II.
By: Pachacutec
More Valerie Plame – “Valerie, under oath: I DID NOT RECOMMEND, DID NOT SEND, DID NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY.” - 1. Enter “The Wife.”
By: Pachacutec
Valerie Plame is up. “Waxman declares Valerie was covert,” which limits what can be asked. - They’re scared.
By: EmptyWheel
Short discussion of the preparations for how both Democrats (Majority) and Republicans (Minority) are going to handle these hearings. The Republicans don’t want them to happen. - Waiting For History
By: Scarecrow.
This is the introduction to the Hearing coverage. Essentially it is a setup for the rest of the coverage.
