Miller Testifies to Grand Jury on CIA Leak

[paineinthearse]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thenewswire/#a008135
&
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cia_leak_investigation;_ylt=AuLD6AehayGlFmIezNLfSgCs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Miller Testifies to Grand Jury on CIA Leak
By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer
13 minutes ago

New York Times reporter Judith Miller testified before a grand jury Friday, ending her silence in the investigation into whether White House officials leaked the name of a covert CIA operative, Valerie Plame. Miller, free after 85 days in jail, spent more than three hours inside the federal courthouse in downtown Washington, most of it behind closed doors with a grand jury.

Miller arrived at about 8:30 a.m. at the courthouse as part of an agreement reached Thursday with Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to disclose her conversations in July 2003 with Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Miller said in a statement that her source — identified by the Times as Libby — had released her from her promise of confidentiality.

But Libby's lawyer said Friday he and his client had released Miller long ago to testify, and were surprised when Miller's lawyers again asked for a release in the last few weeks. "We had signed a waiver more than a year ago," Attorney Joseph Tate said. "We didn't think this had anything to do with Scooter. I was under the impression from talking to (Miller attorney Floyd) Abrams that she was protecting a number of other sources."

Tate said Miller's lawyers called recently and said there was "a misunderstanding and Judy wanted to hear it straight from the horse's mouth" that Libby was releasing her to talk to the grand jury about their conversation. Tate said his client did not know or hear about Plame's identity until it appeared in a newspaper column by Robert Novak. "Scooter did not know the name until he saw it in the Novak article," he said.

more...

"...her source — identified by the Times as Libby..." :rofl: Hey, NTY, give credit where credit is due. Murray Waas broke this on August 8th!

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4932547&mesg_id=4932547

Actually, for those very few readers who read this blog and my reporting on this subject, that is sort of old news... I first reported in the American Prospect last August 8 that Miller had met with Libby on July 8, 2003, that Libby was one of her sources, and the reason that she was in jail was because Libby had not provided her a personalized waiver to testify. Here is what I reported then:

Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, has told federal investigators that he met with New York Times reporter Judith Miller on July 8, 2003, and discussed CIA operative Valerie Plame, according to legal sources familiar with Libby's account.

The meeting between Libby and Miller has been a central focus of the investigation by special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald as to whether any Bush administration official broke the law by unmasking Plame's identity or relied on classified information to discredit former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, according to sources close to the case as well as documents filed in federal court by Fitzgerald.

The meeting took place in Washington, D.C., six days before columnist Robert Novak wrote his now-infamous column unmasking Plame as a "CIA operative." Although little noticed at the time, Novak's column would cause the appointment of a special prosecutor, ultimately place in potential legal jeopardy senior advisers to the president of the United States, and lead to the jailing of a New York Times reporter.

A short time after that story appeared (indeed a very short time-- about a week later), Miller's attorneys and Libby's attorney, Joseph A. Tate, began the long negotiations that would lead to Libby finally providing her a personal waiver that would lead to her release and testimony. There is quite a backstory there, and my then unnoticed Prospect story paved the way, in large part, for the negotiations. I am going to write a lot about this, on my blog, and long reporting pieces elsewhere.

A footnote: Although the Times is now confirming my story that Miller did meet Libby on July 8, and Libby was Miller's source, here is what the Times had to publicly say back when I first broke the news:

In response to questions for this article, Catherine J. Mathis, a spokesperson for the Times, said, "We don't have any comment regarding Ms. Miller's whereabouts on July 8, 2003." She also added, "Ms. Miller has not received a waiver that she believes to be freely given."

The August 8 DU posts:

"New Confirmation that Libby was a Source for Miller" - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1994703 - Posted in "GDP", it received ZERO responses.

"New Confirmation that Libby was a Source for Miller" - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x145717 - cross-posted in "Editorials and Articles", received a handfull of replies, from the "usual suspects." :)

[readmylips]

1. So it's going back to Novak....

Who told Novak? Novak is so well connected in DC (years and years), that he can be marketed as best toilet paper politicians use.

[sallyseven]

2. Sounds weird to me.

Who is she protecting. They should ask her who else did she talk to. How about her pall John Bolton.

[damntexdem]

22. Or she finally broke, and used the new waiver as an excuse ...

to spill the works.

[Rex]

3. Lies and the lying liars that tell them.

Looks like the lies are FINALLY starting to catch up with these goons. I couldn't be happier!

[seemslikeadream]

4. Why did the New York Times get SCOOPED on Miller's release?

[paineinthearse]

5. explain?

:shrug:

[seemslikeadream]

7. I just figured the Times would be the first to report

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001219537

Questions Swirl Around Latest Twist in Judith Miller Saga
Who blinked first? Why did the Times get scooped last night? How come no one seems to know that Miller also turned over notes? Why didn't she accept Scooter's waiver months ago? And more.

By Greg Mitchell

NEW YORK (September 30, 2005) -- So who blinked first in the Pat and Judy Show -- the federal prosecutor or the jailed journalist? This is among a host of questions raised by Judith Miller's sudden prison release after cutting a deal with prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald.

Did Miller cave, close to the end of the Plame grand jury's current term, because she feared that Fitzgerald would extend the term for many months? Or did the prosecutor cave (agreeing to limit Miller's testimony) because he was already being criticized for taking so long to produce indictments and needed to at least nail one bad guy?

Other bits of intrigue:

-- First, The Washington Post got scooped on naming Deep Throat. Now The New York Times is just about last to report on its own star reporter (who it has championed in numerous editorials) getting sprung from jail. Even E&P, following The Philadelphia Inquirer's scoop, beat the Times on it last night. What's up with that?

-- Buried in all the accounts of Miller's agreeing to testify is the little matter of also deciding to turn over her written "edited" notes (apparently jotted down after the fact) on her chats with "Scooter" Libby. What does "edited" mean? While not quite parallel to Time Inc. yielding Matt Cooper's electronic notes, which were in his magazine's system, why is so little being made of this? The Times has long said it had no notes, but that may be because they never got beyond Miller's notepad.

-- Why wasn't Libby's personal waiver allowing her to testify (granted a year ago, he says) not good enough for Miller when it was good enough for numerous other embattled journos in this case? Why the sudden change of heart on her part?

-- What exactly is going on with the Miller legal team? Is Floyd Abrams really the fall guy for letting this drag on so long? Or has Miller changed her own tune under the influence of Bob Bennett, one of her other lawyers?

-- What does it mean that Libby claims to be shocked that Miller was protecting him and that he presumed she was shielding others?

-- Will we ever know who, in the words of the Times' Executive Editor Bill Keller last night, Miller feared she might "implicate" if questioned freely by Fitzgerald?

[maryallen]

12. Because Scooter's attorney is ....

from Philadelphia.

[lovuian]

6. I wonder what Colin Powell has testified about what happen on

Air Force One!!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

8. Recommended - I will come back and comment more later. In the

meantime, re the NYT getting scooped about its own story and much more about this whole sorry NYT/Miller mess, read Arianna Huffington's comments:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/miller-walks-the-plot-th_b_8116.html

I strongly suspect Miller is hiding Bolton and/or other juicier perps than Libby. For more, see this thread and the articles posted in the replies:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4932994
thread title: Here are two reasons why I believe JUDITH MILLER WILL NOT GIVE THE TRUTH:

[katty]

9. Agree-and the deal cutting begins

[bunny planet]

18. Time for a large scale boycott of purchasing the NYTimes complete with

a barrage of letters to the editor decrying their stance that Judy Miller is a heroine of journalistic integrity. I cancelled my 20 yr. subscription to the paper last year right after the election, and told them at the time that I was disgusted and dismayed at their coverage of the lead up to the Iraq war, and their lack of ethics in not firing Ms. Miller after it was exposed that she was a shoddy reporter at best and a shill, warmongering liar at worst.

I have been keeping up with the paper on line for free, but now that they've made their only half way decent section of the paper, the editorial page, a paid feature, it's time to let the Times know that unless they get REAL, they can look forward to laying off a lot more than just 400 employees. If they've decided to be a shadow of their former self, and a worthless corporate rag, then we won't be losing much if they go out of business. I'm going to inform them that I'll be getting my access to their editorial page from a relative who still subscribes to the paper, if everyone mentions that, it might make them think, hmmmmmmm, circulation could be cut in quarters or worse if people started doing in en masse.

If 10 people cancel their subscriptions and tell them they'll be borrowing the paper from a person who still has a subscription or buys the paper, multiply that scenario thousands of times, that translates into severe decline in paying readership. Too bad, the Old Gray Lady is now the Old Painted Lady, in other words, a presstitute. Cut Judy Miller loose, stop supporting her lies and helping to sell her new book, or else become forever and ever irrelevant and/or OUT OF BUSINESS.

[kohodog]

28. The fun will begin AFTER the indictments...

when the lawyers get to question them in court under oath. Then we'll see who's trying to protect who and who will flip. I do suspect indictments, -perhaps perjury or conspiracy, as it now appears that Libby and Rove leaked. That may imply a concerted effort to expose Plame to get back at Wilson.

[GDoyle]

29. Huh?

Not following your post? Who will get to be questioned under oath? Everyone who has been to the Grand Jury already has testified under oath. And you can not force defendants to testify due to the 5th Amendment. And no one would testify until trial anyways, a year or more from now at least.

Not following.

GDoyle

[kohodog]

31. The Grand Jury testimony isn't public

At a trial it will be and the questions are likely to expose more to the public. I also think broader areas will be covered. The same will happen with Delay if that goes to trial. With the Plame affair, there are many people in the administration involved, and anyone facing jail time may plead to a lesser charge to give evidence against someone higher up. Do you think Bush and Cheney really knew nothing about this? Do you think Rove isn't enough of a slime ball to try to save his own ass first?

The pressure will be to keep it from going to trial. Time will tell.

[jeanmarc]

10. It Stinks badly

A 'misunderstanding' kept her in jail for 85 days? I piss on that bullshit from a great height.

Why would Libby persuade her to testify? What's in it for Libby to have this conversation with her? Sounds like Libby was given a deal and/or was under extreme pressure to make it happen.

What kept Miller from figuring out a way to confirm whether Libby's letter to her was legit? A confidant at the Times, etc?

It makes zero sense and the whole thing is a bunch of lies.

[daleo]

14. That was my first thought too

Staying in jail for 3 months over a supposed mis-understanding between Scooter and Steno doesn't add up. There is more here.

[NYC]

35. Could this be Libby's way of passing or diffusing the blame?

"We didn't think this had anything to do with Scooter. I was under the impression from talking to... Abrams that she was protecting a number of other sources."

Something about that statement really catches my attention.

[NYC]

36. The judge told her in July that Libby had released her.

In July, when Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan ordered Miller to jail, he told her she was mistaken in her belief that she was defending a free press, stressing that the government source she "alleges she is protecting" had released her from her promise of confidentiality.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/29/AR2005092901974.html

Edit: July 6th is when she went to jail.

[daleo]

37. Yeah, it doesn't hold up.

Something else is at play here. I don't know what, yet. Eventually the penny will drop. Maybe Steno Sue got word that it was time to abandon the good ship Bushco.

[NYC]

38. I think Libby is trying to implicate others.

It also seems that he is trying to make it public that Miller had other sources, regardless of what she is saying.

I don't think Steno Sue is abandoning anything. I think one of her teammates finally told her that her ass was covered.

[daleo]

39. That could be

- it may have taken some time to pull some strings, work some angles. These waters are deep.

[Nancy Waterman]

21. I agree it makes no sense

She couldn't have been in jail for three months for a misunderstanding. No way. Something else going on here.

[PurityOfEssence]

32. Allow me to explain

I'm sure you suspect the same thing, and the many others who are smelling battalions of rats do too: it's not really about the outing of Valerie Plame Wilson.

Judith Miller is a sinner against the soul of her profession, a calling that presumes decency, honesty and clarity; worse still, she has accepted her profession's greatest prize, the Pulitzer. She is a propagandist. She is a liar of the soul. Her true loyalty isn't to truth and dispassionate accuracy, but to her personal agenda: the buttressing of Israel, the bolstering of the PNAC and the sustaining of the current neocon monarchists. I accuse her of this: she is more loyal to Israel than to the United States. She has lied repeatedly and used sources she knew to be false (can you say "Chalabi"?) to promote her personal desire to destroy all enemies of Israel and secure world dominance by the United States, especially over oil resources.

She is the worst kind of liar, a sanctimonious user who hides behind the noble impartiality of a decent profession. Breathily opining that she can now go pet her dog in her upscale enclave of superiority, she plays her moment on the stage like a dimestore diva. Her lies and affectations are the epitome of selfishness.

Why did she go to jail for so long? Because if she was sworn in and probed on her deliberate deception under the guise of "journalism", she would be truly disgraced and vulnerable to liquidation from the Bush administration. They kill people. Why she's out now is open to speculation. Have they limited the areas of questioning? That sounds like the most reasonable explanation.

She is the worst kind of liar, it simply can't be said enough, and her sanctimoniousness rubs the wound to a festering ulcer.

But then, you knew all this.

[MADem]

25. Well, gee, we all know those assholes do not read the paper or watch TV!!!

Clearly, Scootie never even KNEW that she was in jail, just like monkeyboy did not know, while strumming and chowing on cake, that NOLA was under water!!!!!

[paineinthearse]

11. Joseph Wilson: "act of cowardice" of Miller's source

http://www.legitgov.org/wilson_on_miller_release_from_jail_300905.html

Joseph C. Wilson comments to Citizens For Legitimate Government on the release of Judith Miller from jail

Joseph Wilson: "act of cowardice" of Miller's source --Former US Ambassador, Joseph C. Wilson, comments to Citizens For Legitimate Government on the release of Judith Miller from jail 30 Sep 2005 "I am delighted that Judith Miller's ordeal has come to an end. She spent time in jail, by her own admission because her source had not given her the authorization she felt she required consistent with her personal understanding of her obligation as a journalist to protect the identity of that source. It was an act of cowardice on the part of her source, a senior official in the administration, to allow her to languish in jail for the past several months rather than step forward to acknowledge his or her responsibility in this matter."

[Amonester]

15. Cowards in the WH?!? Bwaahh... Oh! Come on... /sarcasm (n/t)

Edit: Recommended.

And:

GO GET 'EM FITZ! :small-candle-smilie:

[jrthin]

13. Hope she said enough

to get herself indicted and convicted.

[lthuedk]

16. I think JM has been working for Fitz for some time,

Fitz would be a fool not to record all conversations within JM's cell.

sp

[dooner]

17. Miller's attorney (Bob Bennett) was just on Wolf Blitzer, CNN

I only caught the end... came in when Bennett was saying that it was unlikely that Miller sat in jail for months because of a misunderstanding between herself and Libby. He said Libby knew where Miller was and could have contacted her regarding the waiver. (He *seemed* to be implying that something had changed, and Libby finally agreed to release Miller.)

This interview ended with Bennett being asked about his brother (Bill Bennett's) comment regarding aborting black babies. Bob didn't appreciate Blitzer asking him about his brother, unannounced. Bob then went on to say that one could also say that you could abort all male babies because statically men commit more crime. (Hmm. dig that Bennett family hole a little deeper Bob!)

[Virginian]

19. Didn't she say there were TWO reasons she agreed to testify?

Wasn't the second that Fitz agreed to restrict the scope of his questions to just this one source? Does that mean she is still protecting higher sources?

[realFedUp]

20. Miller delayed justice...nt

[Peachhead22]

23. No, shes *obstructing* it

If she's talking because Fitzgerald agreed to only ask about Plamegate and Libby (i.e.-she's still covering someone else's ass), then she's obstructing justice. A felony.

[realFedUp]

24. true, and I think her not talking also delayed any justice

on this case.

[LeftHander]

26. Secret Protective Custody...

Since she was given the a-okay by Libby a long time ago the only reason she has kept her mouth shut was so she wasn't in a small plane "accident" or open a envelope of anthrax.

So now she testifies, has a deal and is going to bring the asshat administration down with the needed corrobarateing testimony.

I expect indictments will be handed down shortly.

She could of waited the 28 days but after Katrina and Rita she maybe finally saw the light and turned on the administration.

She got so deep into this administration propaganda machine she didn't realize how bad it was...or how big of trouble she was in. She may yet find herself in prison....but with testimony against others she will get a deal...

[EVDebs]

27. Paineinthearse, et al, Operation Mockingbird needs to be fully exposed

And until the Fitzgerald investigation begins digging into this aspect of media compliance with the Bush Administration's abuse of intelligence agencies (remember that Nixon's impeachment charges included abuse of federal agencies...) we will continue to be in danger of more illegal wars on a whim.

[Alizaryn]

30. I can't see how at the very least perjury charges

are not brought. SOMEONE(s) is not telling the truth.


http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0722-06.htm

"Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, told special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald that he first learned from NBC News reporter Tim Russert of the identity of Central Intelligence Agency operative Valerie Plame, the wife of former ambassador and Bush administration critic Joseph Wilson, one person said. Russert has testified before a federal grand jury that he didn't tell Libby of Plame's identity, the person said.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove told Fitzgerald that he first learned the identity of the CIA agent from syndicated columnist Robert Novak, according a person familiar with the matter. Novak, who was first to report Plame's name and connection to Wilson, has given a somewhat different version to the special prosecutor, the person said. "

[girl gone mad]

33. I saw Miller on FOX news..

when I went to the bank earlier.

She was talking to reporters in a little tiny please-feel-sorry-for-me baby voice.

She strikes me as extremely manipulative.

[sampsonblk]

34. She's Full of It

She was a shill for them when they needed it. Something tells me she will go to bat for them again if she thinks it will help her career.

[Nothing Without Hope]

40. Arianna Huffington's op/ed in the LA Times: "Who is Judy Miller Kidding?"

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-huffington1oct01,0,3319574.story?track=tothtml
thread title: Who is Judy Miller kidding? - Los Angeles Times

A must-read that extends her blistering rant from her blog at the Huffington Post.