Talk:Treasongate: Beyond Karl Rove
Relocated following material from Treasongate: Beyond Karl Rove main page.
Following the posts of Oct 7 & 8, other blogger researchers came to the conclusion that Gannon was repeating his pattern of copying material from other sources and subimtting it with his own byline. See October 9, 2005, update at The Left Coaster.
Enter Jeff Gannon
"Another intriguing possibility in the leaks case brings back the baroque personality of right-wing pressroom denizen Jeff Gannon, born James Guckert," Joe Conason wrote in Salon October 7, 2005.
"The New York Times reported Friday that in addition to possible charges directly involving the revelation of Valerie Wilson's identity and related perjury or conspiracy charges, Fitzgerald is exploring other possible crimes. Specifically, according to the Times, the special counsel is seeking to determine whether anyone transmitted classified material or information to persons who were not cleared to receive it -- which could be a felony under the 1917 Espionage Act," Conason reported.
"One such classified item might be the still-classified State Department document, written by an official of State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, concerning the CIA's decision to send former ambassador Joseph Wilson to look into allegations that Iraq had tried to purchase uranium from Niger. Someone leaked that INR document -- which inaccurately indicated that Wilson's assignment was the result of lobbying within CIA by his wife, Valerie -- to right-wing media outlets, notably including Gannon's former employers at Talon News. On Oct. 28, 2003, Gannon posted an interview with Joseph Wilson on the Talon Web site, in which he posed the following question: 'An internal government memo prepared by U.S. intelligence personnel details a meeting in early 2002 where your wife, a member of the agency for clandestine service working on Iraqi weapons issues, suggested that you could be sent to investigate the reports. Do you dispute that?'"
Gannon "told reporters last February that FBI agents working for Fitzgerald had questioned him about where he got the memo. At the very least, that can be interpreted as confirming today's Times report about the direction of the case," Conason wrote.
The October 8, 2005, The Left Coaster clarifies what Gannon knew and when he knew it (as posted by TLC):
- Date Gannon-Wilson interview was published: October 28, 2003 ("Talon News" article reprinted at Mens News Daily).
- Date of Wall Street Journal article (first mainstream media mention of memo): October 17, 2003.
- Date of Gannon-Wilson interview estimated by Philip Curtis of ePluribus Media: Week of October 13, 2003.
- Date of Gannon-Wilson interview stated by Jeff Gannon himself, in his 6/30/05 column: September 2003 (fished out by the excellent SusanG of Dailykos).
Great assessment (sorry, had to pun it) .. Enjoy!
"Fitzgerald and his team, on the other hand, appear to understand well the psychology of the kind of people they're dealing with: self-pity, mixed in equal measure with a quivering fear of being anally raped in prison. One suspects that when the inside story of this investigation is finally told, it will be seen that the key to breaking the case open was the alacrity with which top White House aides clawed their way to the tape recorder in order to squeal on each other. No Gordon Liddys in this bunch, I think." --Billmon, "Bullies," Whiskey Bar, October 10, 2005.
Penalties
VR ANALYSIS OF THE FEDERAL SENTENCING GUIDELINES DEMONSTRATES THAT SENIOR WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS ARE FACING THE PROSPECT OF LIFE IN PRISON FOR THE OUTING OF CIA AGENT VALERIE PLAME UNLESS THEY HURRY UP AND TURN ON EACH OTHER --October 7, 2005, Velvet Revolution
Things to Watch (unless you think this is over, then don't watch)
1."Misprint," Daily Dissent, October 30, 2005: "The following italicized text was mysteriously omitted from the front page of today's Washington Post after its initial publish, via Josh Marshall:
- "On July 12, the day Cheney and Libby flew together from Norfolk, the vice president instructed his aide to alert reporters of an attack launched that morning on Wilson's credibility by Fleischer, according to a well-placed source.
- "Libby talked to Miller and Cooper. That same day, another administration official who has not been identified publicly returned a call from Walter Pincus of The Post. He 'veered off the precise matter we were discussing' and told him that Wilson's trip was a 'boondoggle' set up by Plame, Pincus has written in Nieman Reports.
A possible implication of the removed text, via Needlenose: What I think the Post and Marshall are trying to imply is that those calls from Air Force One were specifically orchestrated by Libby, based on Cheney's instructions on Air Force Two. And special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has sources on both planes to back that theory up.
2. At the bottom of the Needlenose posting you will find this update:
- "Update: I agree with Anonymous Liberal, who earlier today surmised that the italicized passage was removed because it too clearly implied that Fleischer was the source for Walter Pincus (rather than any larger, more conspiratorial reasons)."
3. Comment: Although Judith Miller and Matt Cooper have been center stage regarding their reception of "leaked" info, Walter Pincus was also the recipient of the "leaked" info and his involvement has not received attention akin to that of Miller and Cooper. And, of course, Bob Novak seemingly is untouchable (or perhaps has rolled over and is playing dead right now).
We still have two unnamed reporters to whom Plame's status was leaked (unless memory fails and the names won't compute right now). Although Tim Russert was implicated as a source for the "leak", as noted in the indictment and by his own comments, he did not discuss Plame with Rove or Libby. Update Artificial Intelligence 04:20, 31 Oct 2005 (EST)
