If this goes to trial, it will be a real "he said......"
Leak: Lewis Libby's Testimony Contradicted Russert, Cooper, Miller
Media Bistro
Libby was apparently caught in lies because of journalists he spoke to.
"Libby allegedly lied about information he discussed about the CIA employment of Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, in conversations Libby had in June and July 2003 with three news reporters -- Tim Russert of NBC News, Matt Cooper of Time magazine, and Judith Miller of The New York Times," Fitzgerald's press release says.
Both cases of false statements "are cases where apparently what Matt Cooper and Tim Russert told the investigators and possibly the grand jury...disagrees directly with what Scooter Libby said to the grand jury," CNN's David Ensor said.
During this afternoon's NBC News special report, Washington bureau chief Tim Russert clarified his involvement with the CIA leak investigation. Russert said he interacted with Libby only once -- when the Cheney aide "called to complain about programming" on MSNBC.
"I immediately called the president of NBC News and shared the complaint," Russert said.
Russert said he was not a recipient of the leak. He did not share information, because he didn't know the information. Russert said the first time he heard Valerie Plame's name was in Robert Novak's column...
Conversation With NBC's Tim Russert
russertoct28.jpgNBC News Washington bureau chief Tim Russert is an important piece of today's five-count indictment.
Under oath, Libby made "materially false and intentionally misleading statements and representations," the indictment alleges. Some of those "misleading statements" involved Russert.
"On or about July 10, 2003, Libby spoke to NBC Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert to complain about press coverage of Libby by an MSNBC reporter," the indictment says.
Libby testified that Russert asked if Libby knew that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA. Libby also testified that Russert said all the reporters knew it.
These are Libby's exact words to the grand jury: "So then he said -- I said -- he said, sorry -- he, Mr. Russert said to me, did you know that Ambassador Wilson's wife, or his wife, works at the CIA? And I said, no, I don't know that. And then he said, yeah -- yes, all the reporters know it. And I said, again, I don't know that."
But in fact, the indictment says, "Russert did not ask Libby if Libby knew that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, nor did he tell Libby that all the reporters knew it." |
