January 02, 2007
Reporters to Testify in Libby Trial
Remember the "outing" of CIA agent Valerie Plame? The only person indicted in connection with it, Scooter Libby, is due to go on trial soon, with jury selection to begin in two weeks. Libby is not accused of revealing her identity, but of lying about conversations he had with reporters about Plame.
Journalists Judith Miller, Matthew Cooper and Tim Russert are expected to be called as witnesses for the prosecution, while the defense has a number of unnamed reporters it plans to call to rebut their testimony.
Jurors likely won't hear much about the leak itself because the original source, former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, has already confirmed his role and Libby is not charged with the leak. But the trial is certain to renew questions about whether the administration used reporters to drum up support for the war.
Is it true? Moreover, is it illegal? Interesting. When the media uses its power to sway opinion against the war, they feel justified in doing so. But when the administration tries to sway opinion toward their agenda, the media is suddenly outraged.
Lucy Dalgish of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says the use of journalists as witnesses in the trial is "horrifying." To me, what's more horrifying is if Libby is railroaded in a political shell game. He is due a fair trial. If using reporters as witnesses ensures that fairness, then I am all for it.
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