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Evidence Tying Cheney to Plame Leak Grows
Obama DoJ renews Bush-era objections to releasing details
By Harry Kimball
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Posted Jul 3, 09 1:30 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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The Obama Justice Department is continuing its efforts to maintain the Bush administration's secrecy over Dick Cheney's role in the Valerie Plame CIA leak scandal, the Washington Post reports. A filing this week, intended to bolster the current administration’s case for keeping secret details of the then-VP’s 2004 interview with special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, lists seven discussions Cheney recounted that were directly or indirectly related to Plame.
The filing lists discussions “regarding the appropriate response to media inquiries” about Plame’s outing, and about Iraqi WMD evidence Plame’s husband disputed. Administration lawyers argue that if details of the interview were released, other “officials could feel reluctant to participate” in investigations. The group petitioning for disclosure called the argument by one “political appointee” that others would be reticent “astonishing.”