PLAME case: NBC/Russert, TIME subpoenaed.

[blm]

Journalists at Time magazine and NBC News were subpoenaed yesterday to appear before a federal grand jury investigating whether administration officials illegally leaked the name of an undercover CIA officer last summer.


Tim Russert, host of NBC's "Meet the Press," and Time reporter Matthew Cooper were subpoenaed by special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald. NBC said in a statement that it would fight the subpoena, as did a lawyer for Time.
"Time Inc.'s policy is to protect confidential sources," said Robin Bierstedt, deputy general counsel for the magazine.

>>>>>>
The request to interview reporters may suggest that the probe is nearing a conclusion, because Justice Department guidelines require that prosecutors exhaust all other avenues before calling reporters before a grand jury.

Attorneys for several grand jury witnesses and news organizations said it is not clear whether Fitzgerald is moving toward seeking indictments in the case or whether he is preparing to complete it without bringing criminal charges.
Last week, Fitzgerald asked to interview reporters at The Washington Post and Newsday. A Newsday lawyer said last night that the paper had declined the request but has not received a subpoena.

>>>>>>>>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A46823-2004May21?language=printer

[Alpharetta]

1. Ugh. this is blurring into a "press confidentiality" debate

Of course the press should not divulge their sources. Is it OK for Russert and NBC to say the exact date and time they received the leak?

When will the White House phone records be released that show who called Novak the week before the leak?

[lanparty]

2. They should reveal the leaker's name!!!!!!

Sorry, but you have to apply some ethics to journalism. Sometimes, things are leaked for the sake of "full disclosure". They are done for the overall good.

This action was done as a political "assasination". It was a retalitory strike that ended up jeopardizing aspects of national security. It was a CRIME against Valerie Plame and EVERY US citizen.

BTW, I think that Valerie Plame should SUE Bob Novak DIRECTLY. Maybe then, we'll get discovery on WHO THE TRAITOR IS!!!!!!!

[AP]

3. When a gov't official calls a reporter in his official capaicty as ....

...a public servant, I don't understand why the public simply can't have that information.

We pay these people to act on our behalf, and every product of their labors belongs to the public.

It should be enough to get phone records to find out who made the calls. I wish there were recordings. But if there aren't, the person who received the call should not be able to claim any privilege over the call.

I totally understand the press protecting a confidential private source. But they have no business protecting someone who shouldn't be protected -- a government official ostensibly performing his or her official duties.

There is no relationship in there that is entitled to confidentiality. It's not Russert's or NBC's choice to make the call to protect the relationship.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Should Woodward & Bernstein have revealed

the identity of Deep Throat? Waht if he was a gov't official? How do you write the rules here? How do you make sure that only "bad guy" informants get outed, while "good guy" informants are protected? Can you think of a way to write the rules so an Ashcroft can't twist them to suit his purposes?

The short of it is that I think the harm to come from suppressing whistleblowers is greater than the good to come from having the press forced to give up Scooter Libby & Karl Rove to the prosecutors.

Sorry.

[AP]

7. If Deep Throat were (1) a gov't official, (2) acting in his official...

...capacity, calling from gov't phones, while doing the job he was paid to do, then I don't see how he or the Post could have claimed there was a confidential relationship that needed protecting.

There's such thing as a spousal privilege. There's no such thing as the "guy you picked up in a bar last night" privilege.

It isn't a complicated matter to draw the line between a person like whomever called Russert and Deep Throat.

[Gothmog]

4. I hope that the investigation is winding up

I really want to see Rove and Scooter Libby frogmarched off to a perp walk.

[snippy]

5. This seems bad to me.

If Fitzgerald can not get indictments without testimony from journalists then nothing is likely to come from this investigation before the election. If there is litigation over forcing journalists to testify, it could go on for a long time.

Perhaps the democrats should try again to put pressure on the White House to release the reporters from any confidentiality obligations. After Richard Clarke testified to the 9/11 Commission the White House did that concerning Clarke's identity as the unnamed source for a background briefing on fighting terrorism prior to 9/11.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

8. if their are no indictments, this story is dead.

Im sorry to say this, but idictments would have to occur if this Plame case is to be a real scandal hurting the administration....as it would be impossible to spin as "sour grapes" or "revenege".

[shraby]

9. The difference between

Deep Throat and this is the outing of Valerie Plame is a criminal act and Deep Throat was not. The other reporters should tell who called them.