Carol Leonnig in Wapo reports on arguments made to the judge in the lawsuit filed by Valerie Plame Wilson and Joe Wilson against Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby, Karl Rove and Richard Armitage. "So you're arguing there is nothing -- absolutely nothing - these officials could have said to reporters that would have been beyond the scope of their employment [whether it was] true or false?," U.S. District Judge John D. Bates asked.
"That's true, your honor. Mr. Wilson was criticizing government policy," said Jeffrey S. Bucholtz, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's civil division. "These officials were responding to that criticism."
Erwin Chemerinsky, a Duke University law professor who represents Wilson and Plame, said the leak was no typical policy debate. President Bush himself said that revealing Plame's identity could be illegal conduct and a firing offense, he told Bates.
More articles by Brian Zick
FBI Director Mueller Contradicts Gonzales
Brian Zick
Democrats Request Special Counsel Be Appointed to Investigate Perjury Charges Against Gonzales
Brian Zick
Rove and Deputy Jennings Subpoenaed by Senate Judiciary Committee
Brian Zick
Similar articles
ViewpointCulture
Big Back Panic: Fatphobia's Rebrand
Anti-fatness is back with a vengeance so aggressive it puts 1990s “heroin chic” to shame.
Tee Noir
FeatureInvestigationGoodman Institute
How Europe Outsourced Border Enforcement to Africa
The European Union is militarizing Africa's internal borders to curb migration, with little regard for human rights.
Andrei Popoviciu
FeatureInvestigationGoodman InstituteEn Español
Europa Está Externalizando su Represión Transfronteriza a África
La Unión Europea está militarizando las fronteras internas de África para frenar la migración.
Andrei Popoviciu
