TWN has previously argued that Libby has probably been covering up Cheney’s role in outing Valerie Plame Wilson.
Carol Leonnig and Jim VandeHei have a good piece on this in the Post this morning:
Libby, according to Fitzgerald’s indictment, gave a false story to agents and, later, to a grand jury, even though he knew investigators had his notes, and presumably knew that several of his White House colleagues had already provided testimony and documentary evidence that would undercut his own story.
And his interviews with the FBI in October and two appearances before the grand jury in March 2004 came at a time when there were increasingly clear signs that some of the reporters with whom Libby discussed Plame could soon be freed to testify — and provide starkly different and damning accounts to the prosecutor.
To critics, the timing suggests an attempt to obscure Cheney’s role, and possibly his legal culpability. The vice president is shown by the indictment to be aware of and interested in Plame and her CIA status long before her cover was blown.
Even some White House aides privately wonder whether Libby was seeking to protect Cheney from political embarrassment. One of them noted with resignation, “Obviously, the indictment speaks for itself.”
In addition, Cheney also advised Libby on a media strategy to counter Plame’s husband, former ambassador Wilson, according to a person familiar with the case.
“This story doesn’t end with Scooter Libby’s indictment,” said Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), giving voice to widespread Democratic hopes about the outcome of Fitzgerald’s case. “A lot more questions need to be answered by the White House about the actions of [Cheney] and his staff.”
Heading back to D.C. today from Prague.
More later.
— Steve Clemons
