Dana Milbank " it may be illegal for a reporter to give name of CIA agent"

[59millionmorons]

Look out Bob Novak.

[htuttle]

1. "May be"? Try "is"

Ironically, it was George Bush Sr. who backed a law making it illegal, primarily in an effort to shut up Phil Agee.

This one is coming right home to roost!

[FDRrocks]

2. and add in 'undercover' before CIA agent n/t

[Rose Siding]

3. I don't see how

If he prints what he hears, and hasn't taken any security oath himself, he seems as in the clear as all the others writing about it now. Like we are just now.

Wilson, I noted, spoke in hypotheticals- "IF it were true that my wife is a covert operative, and I'm not verifying that- probably because he *has* taken such an oath at his clearence level.

[Padraig18]

7. It's called "misprison of a felony"

Since 'ignorance of the law' is no excuse, Novak is presumed to know that revealing the identity of a covert agent is a Federal offense. "Misprison of a felony" is a crime in the District of Columbia, as well as in most states, and simply stated it means that it is a crime to fail to inform law-enforcement of a crime that one would reasonably know or suspect is a felony.

Novak is NOT shielded by the First Amendment on this, any more than he would be had he published a battle plan, nuclear secrets, etc.

[mandyky]

4. Bob Novak will be retiring by the end of Oct.,

if not sooner. Oh good lord, who will they replace him with on Crossfire?

[Stuckinthebush]

5. I don't think so...

but I could be wrong.

I think if a reporter gets a leak and has a story, he/she is safe in printing the story.

Novak - although nasty - was probably totally within his limits by printing this story.

[roguevalley]

6. He can be subpeoned by a judge to disclose and end up in jail.

reporters go to jail all along and since this is a treasonable offense and he's not a beginner, he could end up in jail until
he talks or someone else who didn't print, and is therefore in
the clear, discloses under oath.

This isn't some prank. Novak doesn't have the right to break the
law and hide behind privilege. Reporters often spend long times
in jail if they don't disclose. This is tantamount to treason and
if an independent counsel is in charge, and it appears that the
network of this woman was put to death, there will be no nancing
around.

We've been made just that much more unsafe today because of that
rodent, Novak. Say what you will about the CIA. We are now more
unsafe.