Time reporter deposed in CIA leak case

CNN CIA LEAK FILES

Time reporter deposed in CIA leak case

Thu Dec 8, 2005 21:40

Media Matters - Did Time 's Viveca Novak intervene in leak case ...
Did Time's Viveca Novak intervene in leak case, aiding Rove, while covering story? ... Luskin and Viveca Novak are "friends,"

Source: Time reporter deposed in CIA leak case
From Kevin Bohn CNN
Thursday, December 8, 2005; Posted: 12:55 p.m. EST (17:55 GMT)
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/08/cia.novak/

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald continued his investigation into the leaking of a CIA agent's name by taking sworn testimony from a Time magazine reporter Thursday, said a source close to Time Inc.

Fitzgerald deposed Time reporter Viveca Novak in her attorney's office, and left the office without making comment.

Several weeks ago, Time reported that Fitzgerald wanted to talk to Novak about conversations she had with Robert Luskin.

Luskin is the lawyer for White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, and Novak spoke to him as part of the magazine's coverage on the leaking of the name of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame.

Fitzgerald deposed Luskin last Friday. Time and Luskin refused to answer CNN's questions about Luskin's conversation with Novak.

Rove's attorney has said Fitzgerald is still investigating his client.

The case stems from a July 14, 2003, column by Robert Novak in which he revealed Plame's identity as a CIA operative. Robert Novak, a CNN contributor, attributed the information to two senior administration officials.

Viveca Novak is no relation to Robert Novak.

Viveca Novak is cooperating with Fitzgerald's investigation, Time said. Time Inc. earlier this year turned over subpoenaed records from its reporter Matt Cooper regarding the CIA leak case.

Fitzgerald appeared before a new grand jury Wednesday, but he refused to comment on what occurred.

Lawyers involved in the case said that Fitzgerald has been probing why Rove did not initially disclose to investigators that he had a conversation with Cooper about Plame.

Rove, who first said he had only talked to syndicated columnist Robert Novak, later disclosed the conversation with Cooper after finding an e-mail he wrote to then deputy national security adviser Stephen Hadley recounting it, lawyers in the case have said.

Time magazine is owned by Time Warner, CNN's parent company.

CNN's Bob Franken and Lesa Jansen contributed to this story.
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CNN SPECAIL REPORT - CIA LEAK
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/cia.leak/

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APFN - LEAKGATE INFO AND LINKS:
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/leakgate.htm

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GOOGLE NEWS UPDATES: CIA LEAK

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Mr. Fitzgerald Goes To Town

CIA LEAK UPDATES: FIRE DOG LAKE BLOG SPOT

Special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald spent more than an hour Thursday morning at a law firm representing Viveca Novak, a Time magazine reporter whose testimony was being sought in the CIA leak case.

Fitzgerald and an associate emerged from the office of attorney Hank Schuelke at 11:30 a.m. EDT, declined to answer questions and rode away in a taxi cab. A short time later, a court stenographer left the building.

An hour later, Schuelke escorted Novak from the building and helped her flag a taxi. He declined comment when asked if she had provided sworn testimony in Fitzgeralds investigation of the leak of an undercover CIA agents identity.

I've heard that Vivac tried like hell to keep from having to testify under oath, but Fitzgerald was having none of it.

Meanwhile on MSNBC, David Schuster says that Rover indulged in something they are referring to as "rolling disclosure" -- each time he went before the grand jury he remembered a little bit more. Schuster also seems to indicate that Vivac's conversation with Luskin happened before Rove's first February, 2004 appearance before the grand jury, and that in this testimony Rove said the subject of Plame had come up briefly. This contradicts earlier reports by the WaPo that in his first GJ appearance "Rove testified that he did not recall talking to Cooper about Plame."

Boy we can only hope Team Rove presume the Special Counsel is the credulous bumpkin they clearly take the media and the public for.

posted by Jane Hamsher @ 4:42 PM

http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/
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