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Rove Watch: Time’s Cooper Speaks About Grand Jury Testimony

HeadlineJul 18, 2005

The Sunday talk shows this weekend were dominated by the ongoing investigation into the outing of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame. One of those at the center of the story, Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper, appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” where he discussed his testimony in front of the Grand Jury. Cooper also has an article piublished last night by Time in which he says that President Bush’s senior advisor, Karl Rove, was the first person to tell Cooper that Valerie Plame was a CIA officer. Cooper said he told that to a grand jury last week and that Rove ended the call by saying “I’ve already said too much.” Cooper wrote that Rove did not disclose Valerie Plame’s name, but told him in July 2003 that information would be declassified that would cast doubt on the credibility of her husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson. Cooper wrote, “So did Rove leak Plame’s name to me, or tell me she was covert? No. Was it through my conversation with Rove that I learned for the first time that Wilson’s wife worked at the CIA and may have been responsible for sending him? Yes. Did Rove say that she worked at the 'agency' on 'WMD'? Yes,” Cooper continues, “When he said things would be declassified soon, was that itself impermissible? I don’t know. Is any of this a crime? Beats me.” Cooper wrote he had previously told the grand jury he had also discussed Wilson and his wife with Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff. He said he asked Libby about Wilson’s wife playing a role in the Niger trip, and Libby replied, “Yeah, I’ve heard that too.” This all raises serious questions about whether several administration officials intentionally misled the public and investigators about the involvement of Libby and Rove. White House spokesperson Scott McClellan said in October 2003 that Rove, Libby and another official had assured him they were uninvolved in the leak.

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