Plame affair

Reactions to the controversy

White House reactions

In the beginning the White House called the allegation that Rove disclosed classified information "totally ridiculous" and "simply not true," and stated that "if anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration."http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/09/20030929-7.html http://slate.msn.com/id/2088471/http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A11208-2003Sep27¬Found=truehttp://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/09/20030916-6.html#27 The White House continued to publicly assert that no Bush administration officials were involved in the leak until after the Supreme Court decision of 2005, the subsequent release of internal Time Magazine email, and Time reporter Matt Cooper's decision to testify to the grand jury. Once Karl Rove's involvement was disclosed, the White House refused to comment on the ongoing investigation and stated that they would fire anyone

Related Topics:
Time Magazine - Matt Cooper

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convicted of criminal activity. Critics find an intent to protect Mr. Rove in the new specificity, while supporters indicate say was what was meant all along.

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On September 30, 2003, Mr. Bush said " And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of." Followed by, "I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action."http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/09/20030930-9.html

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September 30 - 2003

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White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan explained that "appropriate action" meant "f anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration,"http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/09/20030929-7.html#1 adding that Karl Rove had specifically assured McClellan that he was not involved, and that "the President expects his administration to adhere to the highest standards of conduct and the highest ethics."

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President George W. Bush, who has repeatedly denied knowing the identity of the leaker, called the leak a "criminal action" for the first time on 6 October 2003, stating "f anybody has got any information inside our government or outside our government who leaked, you ought to take it to the Justice Department so we can find the leaker."http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/10/20031006-3.htmlhttp://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00612F93B580C748CDDA90994DB404482 Speaking to a crowd of journalists the following day, Bush said "I have no idea whether we'll find out who the leaker is -- partially because, in all due respect to your profession, you do a very good job of protecting the leakers."http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/10/20031007-2.html

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6 October - 2003

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On 8 October 2003, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said that "no one has more of an interest in getting to the bottom of this than the White House does, than the President does."http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/10/20031008-3.html

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8 October - 2003 - Scott McClellan

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On 10 October 2003, after the Justice Department began its formal investigation into the leak, McClellan specifically said that neither Rove nor two other officials whom he had personally questioned – Elliott Abrams, a national security aide, and I. Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff – were involved and that anyone who was involved in leaking classified information would be fired. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/10/20031010-6.html

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10 October - 2003 - Elliott Abrams - I. Lewis Libby

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On 10 June 2004, eight months after the formal outside investigation was begun and five months after the appointment of an Independent Counsel, President Bush was asked by a reporter, "Given recent developments in the CIA leak case, particularly Vice President Cheney's discussions with the investigators, do you still stand by what you said several months ago, suggesting that it might be difficult to identify anybody who leaked the agent's name? ... And do you stand by your pledge to fire anyone found to have done so?" The President responded, "Yes. And that's up to the U.S. Attorney to find the facts."http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/06/20040610-36.html

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10 June - 2004

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On 11 July 2005, White House spokesman Scott McClellan, who had since become a grand jury witness himself, refused at a press conference to answer dozens of questions, repeatedly stating that the Bush Administration had made a decision not to comment on an "ongoing criminal investigation" involving White House staff.http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/07/20050711-3.html McClellan declined to answer whether Rove had committed a crime. McClellan also declined to repeat prior categorical denials of Rove's involvement in the leak,http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/11/politics/11cnd-rove.html nor would he state whether Bush would honor his prior promise to fire individuals involved in the leak.http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/09/20030929-7.htmlhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/06/20040610-36.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/11/AR2005071101568.html Although Democratic critics called for Rove's dismissal, or at the very least immediate suspension of Rove's security clearances and access to meetings in which classified material was under discussion, Rove remained working in the White House.

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11 July - 2005

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Neither Rove nor the President offered immediate public comment on the unfolding scandal.http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/11/politics/11cnd-rove.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/10/opinion/10rich.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-CIA-Leak-Investigation.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.htmlhttp://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-rove12jul12,0,553468,full.story?coll=la-home-headlines Congressional Republicans remained silent on the issue of the Valerie Plame leak and a White House compromise of national security, and as of 18 July 2005, not a single elected Republican member of Congress had called for Rove to be disciplined or impeached. Rove was vociferously defended by Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman and by many conservative news outlets and commentators, some of whom followed cues laid out in a "talking points" memo, circulated among Republicans on Capitol Hill, which questioned Joseph Wilson's credibility.http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Exclusive_GOP_talking_points_on_Rove_seek_to_discre_0712.html Among others, David Brooks, conservative New York Times editorialist and NPR commentator, attacked Wilson on 14 July 2005 by falsely alleging that he had claimed Cheney sent him on the Niger mission, and that in speaking to Cooper and others, Rove was merely correcting a reporter's misconception.http://mediamatters.org/items/200507150004 In an even more extreme example of partisanship, the Editorial Board of The Wall Street Journal praised Rove on 13 July 2005 for leaking Plame's identity, referring to him as a "whistleblower."http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110006955 Fox News's John Gibson said that even if Rove is not being truthful, he deserves a medal for leaking Plame's CIA identity because Joseph Wilson opposed the war and "Valerie Plame should have been outed by somebody."http://oliverwillis.com/vid/gibson-plame.movhttp://mediamatters.org/items/200507130004

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18 July - 2005 - Ken Mehlman - David Brooks - NPR - 14 July - 13 July - John Gibson

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On 18 July 2005, after having brushed off similar questions about the Rove scandal for nearly a week, President Bush stated that "f someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration."http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/19/politics/19rove.html http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-leak18jul18,0,4779848.story?page=2&coll=la-home-headlines This was widely interpreted as a retraction of multiple earlier promises to fire anyone involved in the leak itself. Others counter this view by relying on the one previous mention of illegality, the September 30, 2003 remarks, to suggest that criminality was a pre-requisite all along.

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18 July - 2005

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Many news outlets speculated that Rove's (future) legal defense might be built upon testimony that he was ignorant of Plame's protected status at the time he outed her as a CIA employee; if it could be proven that he had heard of her CIA covert status before speaking to journalists, however, Rove could face far more serious charges. A New York Times story of 16 July 2005 suggested that the Independent Counsel grand jury has questioned whether a particular top secret State Department report naming Plame may have been the source of Rove's information.http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/16/politics/16memo.html. Colin Powell was photographed carrying the report in Africa in the company of the President in the days following the 6 July 2003 publication of Wilson's Op-Ed piece. Powell is reported to have testified before the grand jury.

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16 July - 2005 - State Department report naming Plame - Colin Powell - 6 July - 2003

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White House Chief of Staff, Andrew Card was informed by then White House counsel Alberto Gonzales around 8:00 PM on September 29, 2003, that the Department of Justice was beginning an investigation of the Plame affair, and that the next morning, Gonzalez would order the White House staff to preserve all documents which may be related to the case. Gonzalez has stated that he did not send the order to the staff because of the lateness of the hour, but speculation has suggested that he notified Card in order to give him a twelve hour head start before destruction of any incriminating documents would be prohibited.http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/face_72405.pdf This was unusual, according to the Washington Post, since the White House Staff is usually quickly notified of any investigations so as to safeguard the integrity of any documents, emails or memoranda that might be required for the investigation.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/24/AR2005072401058.html

Related Topics:
Andrew Card - Alberto Gonzales - September 29 - 2003 - Plame affair

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Congressional reactions

On July 15, 2005, 91 Democrat members of Congress signed a letter calling for Karl Rove to explain his role in the Plame affair, or to resign; 13 Democratic Members of the House Judiciary Committee have called for hearings on the matter. http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/letters/rovehrgrequestltr71405.pdf

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A Resolution of Inquiry has been offered by Rush Holt (D-NJ) and John Conyers (D-MI), requesting that the Bush Administration release all documents concerning the exposure of Ms. Plame.

Related Topics:
Resolution of Inquiry - Rush Holt - John Conyers

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Barney Frank (D-MA) and John Conyers (D-MI) have authorized the Library of Congress to research legal precedent for the impeachment of White House staffers. http://congressman-john-conyers.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/7/15/161624/901

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A series of nationwide town hall meetings has been scheduled for July 23 to review the Downing Street memo, the Plame affair, (sometimes called 'Rovegate'), and the situation in Iraq. http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/releases/natltownhallpa71505.pdf.

Related Topics:
Downing Street memo - Iraq

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Twenty-six Democratic Senators, including seven members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, have issued a public statement authored by Senator John Kerry, calling for Congressional hearings to investigate the Plame leak. http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=57

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As of 15 August 2005, no Republican member of Congress had publicly voiced concern about a breach in national security, nor the continuing role of Karl Rove in the Bush Administration. As of 15 August 2005, not a single Republican member of the House of Representatives or Senate had called for Rove to be fired, impeached, disciplined, or even questioned about his reasons for leaking a CIA operative's identity.

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15 August - 2005

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Reactions of former CIA officers

On 20 July 2005, eleven former CIA officers backed Valerie Plame in a 3-page statement and characterized the leak of her covert status as damaging "national security and threaten the ability of U.S. intelligence gathering." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163162,00.html

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20 July - 2005

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:"Intelligence officers should not be used as political footballs," the 11 said. "In the case of Valerie Plame, she still works for the CIA and is not in a position to publicly defend her reputation and honor."

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Former DCI George Tenet told a Senator that he was "furious" with the Bush Administration about the leak in 2003.http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050723/1063162.asp And Larry C. Johnson, a former CIA colleague of Plame, heavily criticized the Bush Administration's handling of the leak: "This is wrong and this is shameful. Instead of a president concerned first and foremost with protecting this country and the intelligence officers who serve it, we are confronted with a president who is willing to sit by while political operatives savage the reputations of good Americans like Valerie and Joe Wilson."http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=axg0cWLE3YHs&refer=us

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DCI - George Tenet

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On 22 July 2005, Johnson,http://talkleft.com/johnson722.pdf along with former CIA case officers David MacMichael and James Marcinkowskihttp://talkleft.com/marcinkowski722.pdf, former senior CIA analyst Mel Goodman, and retired Army colonel and DIA officer W. Patrick Lang,http://talkleft.com/lang722.pdf testified at a Senate Hearing on the consequences of the leak.

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22 July - 2005 - David MacMichael - James Marcinkowski - Mel Goodman - W. Patrick Lang

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Lang emphasized his view that the Bush Administration's action in leaking Plame's identity had threatened vital national security interests over the long term, by sending the message to potential assets around the world that their identity will not be protected if they work with the CIA. "This says to them that if you decide to cooperate, someone will give you up, so you don't do it," he said. "They are not going to trust you in any way."http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/22/AR2005072201261.html

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Public opinion

In a scientific poll conducted July 13-17, 2005 by ABC News, a plurality (47%) of people surveyed said the White House is not cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation; the remainder either had no opinion (28%) or thought the White House was fully cooperating (25%).http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/PollVault/story?id=949950. According to the poll, "75 percent say Rove should lose his job if the investigation finds he leaked classified information. That includes sizable majorities of Republicans, independents and Democrats alike ? 71, 74 and 83 percent, respectively." ibid

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Poll - ABC News

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A CNN poll dated 22 July - 24 July found that 49% of respondents say Rove should resign, 31% said he should not, and 20% had no opinion. USAToday

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22 July - 24 July

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A poll commissioned by Newsweek and published 8 August 2005 indicated 45% believed Rove "guilty of a serious offence", 15% "not guilty of a serious offence", who 37% who "don't know."http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/8424

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8 August - 2005

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Critics of the Bush administration allege that this episode, together with the outing of undercover source Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan which prematurely terminated an ongoing operation, demonstrates the low priority of national security in the Bush White House relative to political gain, or even just revenge for political damage.http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=3271

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The movement to impeach George Bush has seized on the charges surrounding Rove and Scooter Libby, and their possible connections to other decisions involving the decision to invade Iraq, as part of their case for demanding an inquiry which would lead to impeachment.

Related Topics:
Movement to impeach George Bush - Impeachment

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