Fitzgerald said Cheney told his chief of staff, “Scooter” Libby, in 2003 that Wilson’s wife worked for the CIA and Libby spread that information to reporters. When that information got out, it triggered a federal investigation.
“But when the FBI and grand jury asked about what the defendant did,” Fitzgerald said, “he made up a story.”
Fitzgerald alleged that Libby in September 2003 “destroyed” a Cheney note just before Libby’s first FBI interview when he said he learned about Wilson from reporters, not the vice president.
It also appears that Libby’s Defense is preparing to go against the White House, according to their opening statement. Or, at least they seem to be claiming he was worried about being thrown under the bus to protect Rove…
“They’re trying to set me up. They want me to be the sacrificial lamb,” Wells said, recalling the alleged conversation between Libby and Cheney. “I will not be sacrificed so Karl Rove can be protected.”
Full MSNBC story, plus video, here…
FireDogLake is live blogging their notes on the scandal from inside the courtroom. Coverage of Prosecutor Fitzgerald’s opening here…, Defense Attny Wells opener here….
Let the unravelling begin. Hopefully, this will make Pelosi’s claim that “Impeachment is off the table” a little easier to accept. If the evidence can show the office of VP complicit in the leak and subsequent cover up, then Pelosi get’s to dodge the political hot potato and Congress can impeach without political repercussion.
This is hot stuff.
I’m waiting for the defense to posit this: “how can one commit obstruction of justice when no crime was committed?”
In other words, I (like a lot of others) am wondering how can it be that sabotaging an entire CIA cover operation like Brewster Jennings by outing Valerie Plame in retaliation for her husband’s refusal to promote Chimpy’s Lies about WMD/Iraq/Niger IS NOT A CRIME?
This part of the trial is all ‘cart before the horse’ nonsense….The Leakers are ALREADY known to be CheneyBurton & Rove and MAY (re: probably) include The Chimp Himself!!
Shades of Watergate. The day John Dean decided he wasn’t going to take the fall for Nixon was the beginning of the end.
They are turning on each other.
Merry, Merry Fitzmas!
Dick stole the Kishka, Rove stole the Kishka, Bush stole the Kishka, from the butcher shop…
HEY!
Actually the reporter later said that no documents had been destroyed in reality, but that Libby had erased them from his memory. It is not a significant point.
BMII #2
Good question.
The only valid defense to a criminal charge of “giving false information to a federal investigator” is “I did not give false information to a federal investigator” … so I was surprised at the defense lawyer’s trying to blame it on the white house. That is interesting news but not a defense.
The only valid defense to a criminal charge of “perjury before the grand jury” is “I did not lie while under oath before the grand jury” … so, again, I was surprised at the defense lawyer’s trying to blame it on the white house. Since it is not a defense it must be a charade, and they must know a pardon is coming anyway. In other words it is another diversion.
The only valid defense to a criminal charge of “obstruction of justice” is, as you indicated, “there was no justice to be done because no crime had been committed for me to obstruct the prosecution of”. Again, they hang themselves by pointing out Cheney and Rove’s crimes, because then they are admitting that crimes had been done and hence obstruction is one valid way to look at Libby’s behavior.
Hey Larry, Heeheheheheheh. . .
Cinco deferments cheney riped the Werewolf Of cnn (Blitzer) a new asshole. . . . . Big time . . .
cheney don’t like to be asked questions bout his daughter mary.
If only Blitzer had asked him about Mr. Turkey Baster. . . . .He would have tore his head off…