Bush: I'll fire anyone who . . .

is convicted of any crime related to the outing of Valerie Plame if there is videotape showing they were doing the Hokie Pokie in the Oval Office wearing nothing but their left sock while saying her name in Pig Latin (3 times fast).

2003 [emphasis added]

McClellan vowed: "The president has set high standards, the highest of standards, for people in his administration. He's made it very clear to people in his administration that he expects them to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration."

Bush replied "yes" when asked in June 2004 if he would fire anyone who leaked the agent's name.

Today [emphasis added]

BUSH: "if anyone committed a crime in connection with the leak of a CIA agent's identity, "they will no longer work in my administration."

Q. But you had said that anyone involved with this would no longer be in this administration, you didn't say anyone who committed a crime.

McClellan: Yeah, we've been through these issues over the past week, I know what was said previously.

Perjury:

• Rove says he got the info from Bob Novak; Bob Novak say he got the info from Rove
• Matt Cooper says he got the information from Rove and it was confirmed by Scooter Libby

Theft/Conversion of Government Records for non-governmental use (18CFR641)
Per John Dean, this statute has and can be applied to leaks of classified information, also courtesy of John Dean

Conspiracy (18CFR371)

If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

• 2 persons = Karl Rove + Scooter Libby
• any offense = leaking the identity of a covert operative to non-authorized individuals
• agency of the US = CIA
• any purpose = political retribution/gain

A source directly familiar with information provided to prosecutors said Rove's interest was so strong that it prompted questions in the White House. When asked at one point why he was pursuing the diplomat so aggressively, Rove reportedly responded: "He's a Democrat." Rove then cited Wilson's campaign donations, which leaned toward Democrats, the person familiar with the case said.

• any act to effect the object of the conspiracy= negligent handling of classified information: Passing the information on/confirming the information/calling attention to published classified information either knowing Plame's status as a NOC or willfully disregarding Executive Order 12958 which requires confirmation from an authorized official that the information is unclassified prior to disclosure/confirmation.

Violation of EO 12958 & Nondisclosure Agreements (unless they had written permission to do so from an authorized individual)

Tags:turdblossom; Valerie Plame; politics; Bush Administration; Foreign Policy; conservatism; media; Downing Street Memorandum; robert novak; matt cooper; scooter libby

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