PLAME UPDATE….From the Associated Press:
A Time magazine reporter, Matthew Cooper, was subpoenaed Tuesday for a second time in an inquiry into the disclosure of the identity of Valerie Plame, a covert C.I.A. officer. After Mr. Cooper was ordered jailed last month for failing to name his sources, he gave testimony limited to his contacts with I. Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, and the court withdrew its order. Time said Mr. Cooper testified with Mr. Libby’s consent.
The new subpoena apparently concerns information from other officials. Yesterday a Washington Post reporter, Walter Pincus, also testified. Mr. Pincus said he would not identify an official who discussed Ms. Plame’s identity with him in July 2003, but agreed to recount the substance of his conversation with the official.
The LA Times adds this: “People familiar with the case said that Fitzgerald now wants to investigate other sources used by Cooper but that the prosecutor has not specified whom.”
I’ve got an idea about how to get to the bottom of this: subpoena Cooper over and over, but each time name a different White House official. When you find the one who refuses to release Cooper from his confidentiality agreement, you have your man!
Of course, this could take a while, but that’s probably fine with the White House. At the rate Fitzgerald seems to be moving, I’m guessing we’ll see indictments on approximately November 3rd.
UPDATE: The Washington Post adds this:
A Washington Post reporter’s confidential source has revealed his or her identity to the special prosecutor conducting the CIA leak inquiry, a development that provides investigators with a fact they have been pursuing in the nearly year-long probe.
Post reporter Walter Pincus, who had been subpoenaed to testify to a grand jury in the case, instead gave a deposition yesterday in which he recounted his conversation with the source, whom he has previously identified as an “administration official.” Pincus said he did not name the source and agreed to be questioned only with the source’s approval.
That sounds like progress. But is this “administration official” the one who leaked Plame’s name, or merely a source for something else? Stay tuned.
