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Fitzgerald just sprang a very nice trap on Libby

Posted by GliderGuider (A) on January 26, 2007 at 10:03:58

Yesterday Fitzgerald filed a motion alleging a new motive for Scooter Libby to lie to investigators and the grand jury: Libby knew that he had signed non-disclosure agreements in connection with his employment and was afraid that by telling the truth that he disclosed Valerie Wilson's employment with the CIA to reporters, he was in violation of his agreement and would be fired and lose his security clearances.

Fitzgerald alleges:

The government intends to prove that, at the time he made the charged false statements, defendant was aware that, if Ms. Wilson’s employment status was in fact classified, or that Ms. Wilson was in fact a covert CIA officer, in addition to potential criminal prosecution under a number of statutes, defendant faced the possible loss of his security clearances, removal from office, and termination from employment as a result of his disclosures to New York Times reporter Judith Miller and Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper.

..................

The nondisclosure agreements executed by defendant tend to establish that defendant undoubtedly fully understood the serious obligations imposed by the nondisclosure agreements – and the severe potential consequences of violating them. Given other evidence that will establish that defendant was also aware at the time he made the charged false statements that Ms. Wilson’s employment may have been classified, and that the FBI and grand jury were investigating possible crimes arising from the disclosure of Ms. Wilson’s CIA employment to reporters, the nondisclosure agreements are directly relevant to the issue of whether defendant lied intentionally about his role in receiving and disseminating information concerning Ms. Wilson’s employment. Thus, the agreements should be admitted.

The timing appears to be exquisite, following Cathie Martin's testimony yesterday about her concerns over the release of classified information. Fitzgerald seems to have had this one ready to go all along. One commenter on another board says: "Either [Libby's] motive was to cover up (a) a politically embarrassing problem for his bosses; (b) potential crimes by his bosses; or (c)his own neck. It's well played because efforts to to discount (a) and (b) might tend to buttress (c) and vice versa."

I suspect this is all going to get around to the outing of Plame eventually. I also think that Fitzgerald has a plan to crucify the entire White House Iraq Group (WHIG) including Cheney. This trial is the thin edge of the wedge that will split the WH wide open.

• http://www.talkleft.com/LibbyTrial/trialpleadings/fitzmtnagreements.pdf   (Open in New Window)

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