Patrick Fitzgerald Went Too Far
Published Wed, Nov 15 2006 12:10 AM
Technorati Tags: News and Politics
"Plamegate" was a travesty of justice. Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation should have ended almost as soon as it began. When Richard Armitage was revealed to have been the "leak", something that happened early in the investigation if reports are to be believed, the investigation should have been closed.
Instead Mr. Fitzgerald continued with his politically charged investigation, even though the facts of the case were known. When he finally managed to bring an indictment, it was for an alleged crime that could never have been committed if not for Mr. Fitzgerald's own abuse of power.
WASHINGTON - Classified information will be key evidence in the CIA leak trial and Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald went too far in his proposal to limit its release, a federal judge ruled Monday.
Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby is charged with lying to investigators in the case and wants to present classified material at his trial in January to show jurors that he had a lot on his mind and couldn't remember details about the leak.
...
In a ruling Monday, Walton said Fitzgerald's proposed redactions were too restrictive. The memory argument is a key part of Libby's defense, Walton ruled, and he must be allowed to use classified information to make that case.
...
Libby is charged with lying to investigators about his conversations with reporters about CIA operative Valerie Plame. Plame believes her identity was leaked to the press as retribution for her husband's criticism of prewar intelligence on Iraq.
Read the whole article in The Olympian.
For readers of the Olympian and others out here on the left coast... The Washington Post has this to say about it all:
Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming -- falsely, as it turned out -- that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials. He ought to have expected that both those officials and journalists such as Mr. Novak would ask why a retired ambassador would have been sent on such a mission and that the answer would point to his wife. He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush's closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It's unfortunate that so many people took him seriously.
Unfortunate indeed, and a travesty of justice that the Special Prosecutor assigned to look into this didn't drop the investigation once he knew the truth. A travesty that Patrick Fitzgerald had to prolong a witch hunt until he managed to trap someone into making inconsistent statements, so he could finally bring charges of perjury against an administration official and have some justification for the otherwise colossal waste of the taxpayers money.
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D. Ox responded with:
 | Hi Perry,
Nothing will be mentioned about Fitzgerald's abuse of power, rest assured. Great blog, great points.
p.s. I've stolen your use of the new Haloscan comments widget!
Let me know if you'd like to swap links.
All the best,
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