Armitage is Not Under Investigation in Plame
Posted on Fri May 19, 2006 at 08:58:58 AM EST
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Several people wrote me yesterday asking why I wasn't covering The Washington Note's report that Bobby Ray Inman suggested Richard Armitage was in criminal jeopardy in the Valerie Plame investigation. The short answer is I don't believe it. I have believed for months that it is Armitage whom Patrick Fitzgerald refers to in Libby pleadings as "an innocent accused." Which to me means that he got immunity for his cooperation with Fitzgerald.
The Washington Note today updates and acknowledges Bobby Ray Inman was wrong. New sources provide opposite information on Armitage, i.e., he's been helping Fitzgerald.
That's the self-correcting nature of the blogosphere at work. Good for Steve.
Background:
On whether Armitage is Bob Woodward's unnamed source:
Another reason I'm going to go with Armitage is that Fitz in the affidavit and other pleadings has said he wants to keep the source secret so he doesn't become an "innocent accused." Hadley would not be described that way since he was a member of the White House Iraq Group. He may not have committed a crime, but he was in the thick of it. Armitage is far more likely to be a person Fitz would want to protect from being smeared.
There's also a criminal investigation going on into who leaked the CIA prison story to Dana Priest that is not being run by Fitzgerald. I haven't followed it closely enough to know whether Armitage is involved in that investigation. But as to Plame, I still believe he is a witness, not a target.
Empty Wheel has more.
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