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Reporter held in contempt Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040810/D84C1N501.html http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040810/D84C1N501.html Reporter Held in Contempt in CIA Leak Case Aug 9, 8:49 PM (ET) By CURT ANDERSON WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge held a reporter for Time magazine in contempt of court Monday for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating the leak of the identity of a covert CIA officer. In an order issued July 20 but not made public until Monday, U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan ruled that Time's Matthew Cooper and "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert were required to testify "regarding alleged conversations they had with a specified executive branch official." NBC News issued a statement saying that Russert already had been interviewed under oath by prosecutors on Saturday under an agreement to avoid a protracted court fight. The interview concerned a July 2003 phone conversation he had with Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Time and Cooper, however, did not agree to be interviewed and intend to appeal the judge's ruling, said Managing Editor Jim Kelly. If Time loses those appeals, Cooper could be jailed under Hogan's order until he agrees to appear and the magazine could be fined $1,000 a day. "We are disappointed in the decision," Kelly said. "We don't think a journalist should be required to give up a confidential source. We're going to appeal it as far as it goes." Neal Shapiro, president of NBC News, said the network agreed that forcing reporters to testify about their sources is "contrary to the First Amendment's guarantee of a free press." Shapiro said Russert answered "only limited questions" about the conversation with Libby "without revealing any information he learned in confidence." The subpoenas of Russert and Cooper were issued by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald of Chicago, who was appointed as a special prosecutor in the leak case. Hogan denied the claims by the two journalists that they were protected by the Constitution from having to testify. "There have been no allegations whatsoever that this grand jury is acting in bad faith or with the purpose of harassing these two journalists," Hogan wrote in an 11-page ruling. The investigation concerns the leak last summer to syndicated columnist Robert Novak of the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame. Disclosure of an undercover official's identity can be a felony. Plame's name appeared in Novak's column on July 14 last year, about a week after her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, published a newspaper opinion piece criticizing President Bush's claim in the 2003 State of the Union address that Iraq had tried to obtain uranium from Niger. Wilson had been sent by the CIA to Niger to check the allegation, and he concluded it was unfounded. Novak wrote that Plame had suggested her husband for the mission, a claim Plame and Wilson have denied. NBC said in its statement that Russert told Fitzgerald in the interview that he did not know Plame's name or her identity as a CIA officer, and that he did not provide that information to Libby. The statement said that Libby had told the FBI about his conversation with Russert and requested that it be disclosed. In June, prosecutors interviewed a reporter for The Washington Post, Glenn Kessler, regarding two conversations he had with Libby in July 2003. Kessler has said he told prosecutors that Libby did not mention Plame, Wilson or the CIA-backed trip to Niger and that he testified only because Libby signed a waiver releasing Kessler from any promise of confidentiality. A number of Bush administration officials have appeared before the grand jury or have been interviewed by prosecutors and the FBI. Bush himself was interviewed in the White House on June 25, and earlier this month Secretary of State Colin Powell was interviewed. --- On the Net: Hogan's decision: http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/04ms296a.pdf

Administration blows cover of whistleblower { August 8 2003 } Agee calls leak dirty politics Agee discusses leak of name Agee sees whitehouse getting blowback Another time reported testomy may help rove { December 12 2005 } Appeals court upheld ruling against reporters over leak { February 15 2005 } Ashcroft recused self from investigation { December 31 2003 } Buchanan comments on mclaughlin july 15 05 { July 15 2005 } Bush admits cia leak came from whitehouse { July 12 2007 } Bush aide testifies leak probe { February 9 2004 } Bush and lawyer huddle on CIA leak { June 2 2004 } Bush commuted libby prison sentence { June 2007 } Bush defends declassification of prewar report Bush jokes to reporter about cia leak Bush knew of pending cia leak Bush toughens support of leak investigation { October 7 2003 } Cheney advisor resigns after indictment Cheney aide also linked to cia leak { July 18 2005 } Cheney aide says bush approved leak { April 6 2006 } Cheney and rove lose importance in whitehouse Cheney may use executive privilege { October 29 2005 } Cheney reportedly interviewed in leak of CIA name { June 5 2004 } Cheney source of officer name to libby { October 25 2005 } Cheney staff focus of probe { February 17 2004 } Cheney to be defense witness in cia leak case Cia blocks varerie plame book Cia name leak from whitehouse { September 30 2003 } Cia probe widens Colleague says armitage was cia leak source { August 29 2006 } Did rove blow spooks cover { September 16 2003 } Doj investigation whitehouse reveal cia agent Fitzgerald calls new grand jury after woodward testimony { November 19 2005 } Judith freed to testify about source lewis libby { September 30 2005 } Judith miller cant remember where name came from { October 16 2005 } Judith miller retires from the times Karl rove testifies before federal grand jury on leak Last day of probe keeping whitehouse jittery Leaders express outrage for libby commuted sentence { July 3 2007 } Leaker said wilson wife fair game { September 28 2003 } Libby charges dont address cia leak Libby lawyer told miller to clear scooter libby { October 16 2005 } Libby may have hidden cheney role { November 13 2005 } Libby perjury worse than lewinsky perjury Libby retains 5th amendment by avoiding pardon { July 3 2007 } Libby says white house superiors approved leak { February 9 2006 } Libby scapegoated to protect karl rove { January 24 2007 } Libby trial delayed right after 2006 elections { February 4 2006 } Matthew cooper testify after rove lawyers maneuvering { July 7 2005 } Mcclellan cant clear cheney in cia leak case { June 20 2008 } Memo central to leak delivered to powell { July 21 2005 } Nbc russert rebuts libby testimony { February 7 2007 } New tork times reporter jailed for concealing leak { July 7 2005 } New york times reporter given top security clearance { October 16 2005 } Novak claims book was source of leak { August 2 2005 } Novak points to cia { October 1 2003 } Novak pokes fun at cia leak Novak wont give up source { October 1 2003 } Pat buchanan says neocons behind whole thing { July 15 2005 } Powell gives testimony to grand jury Press secretary says bush behind leak { October 2007 } Prison fines await those leak cia identities Probe exposing cia identity { September 29 2003 } Prosecutor investigating coverup of leak { July 27 2005 } Prosecutors question Bush on CIA name leak { June 25 2004 } Reporter held in contempt Rove and libby worked damage control { July 22 2005 } Rove blamed libby to jury { October 20 2005 } Rove called to testify 5th time { April 27 2006 } Rove confirmed plame indirectly lawyer says { July 15 2005 } Rove emailed security official about matthew cooper { July 11 2003 } Rove fight escalates { July 15 2005 } Rove legal team furious efforts to convince prosecutor { October 27 2005 } Rove mclellan interviewed cia probe { October 23 2003 } Rove told cooper wilsons wife works for agency { July 11 2005 } Rove wont face indictment in cia leak case { June 13 2006 } Story from two senior whitehouse employees Time magazine talked to rove for plane story Time reporters in contempt of court for cia leak Time reporters says he first learned of plame from rove { July 18 2005 } Valerie plame does vanity fair spread { December 3 2003 } Whitehouse press secretary contradicts libby { December 2007 } Wilson suggested rove leaked { September 30 2003 } Woodward attacked by liberals { November 18 2005 } Woodward eyed after calling fitzgerald overzealous { November 17 2005 } Woodward was told of plame before leak { November 16 2005 } Files Listed: 85

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