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Open Thread on Judith Miller

I'm working today, so here's a theory I received by e-mail from a criminal defense attorney in Florida on why Judith Miller has chosen jail. What do you all think of it?

I'm totally convinced that Judy Miller is in jail not because of her assertion of the 1st Amendment privilege, but because she wants to avoid asserting her 5th Amendment privilege. The reporter’s privilege arguments are convenient cover for her right now.

I believe the NYT is loudly supporting her fiction that she is a 1st Amendment heroine to try to cover for their horrendous mistake (mistake or cover up?) of not “throwing her under the bus” when it was revealed that she was nothing but a propagandist for the administration on WMD in the run up to war when they were forced to apologize for their coverage of Iraq.

Now, while I believe they (NYT) do know or suspect that she has some substantive criminal liability to hide (recall the split in the joint defense with Time when Time decided to accept the waivers but Judy did not and Time got new counsel), the NYT is still stuck with having to explain publicly Judy’s refusal to testify, even with waivers, to preserve their “reputation” as a credible newspaper, rather than the house organ of the Cheney Administration in the march to war.

So, they make all this noise about the 1st amendment as a distraction when really, I believe, Judy has some kind of underlying conspiratorial criminal liability that she and NYT can’t afford to have revealed. Her role in this entire matter is just too incestuous with the administration and particularly with the personnel deeply involved in this leak.

Look at her special embedding, her acting like she’s directing operations in Iraq, her extraordinary access to the administration; look at the fact that she never wrote about Plame. Why not? Did she give the info to Novak and Cooper so it couldn’t be traced back to her or further traced back to Cheney?

Maybe, the true facts are that Cheney’s staff leaked to Judy who leaked to Rove who leaked to Novak and Cooper (I don’t buy Novak/Rove’s story for a minute that Novak already had the info. I think that’s a post hoc story they concocted when Novak got his immunity—which you know he did, probably right away from Ashcroft before Fitzgerald came on the scene.)

Is that kind of scenario—assisting someone in the administration to disseminate the disclosure of a CIA operative--- enough to hold her criminally responsible as a co-conspirator, accessory? I think it might be, and that’s what she’s protecting by spending 4 months in jail working on a book and hoping it goes away or in another direction while she sits tight.

But, I think after her 4 months in jail, Fitzgerald will give her another subpoena and she’ll face a criminal contempt charge and then she’ll have to “take 5” or give up what she knows. But until then, I can’t get enough of this soap opera/parlor game.

Xymphora also has an interesting take on Miller and Cheney, etc.

What if Cheney or Libby found out about Plame (possibly from the memo referred to here, but it could have come from anywhere), and, rather than tell Rove directly, told Miller? There seems to be a Cheney-Miller connection, as evidenced by the fact that the Miller aluminum tubes story was immediately followed by Cheney using it in his build-up to war.

(And thanks to Michelle at Mandarin Design for making these red quotes for me. If you're a blogger, go on over there and check out all the free stuff avalable for text tricks and graphics.)

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    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:20 PM EST
    A brilliant read. I figured she was covering for a lawbreaking leaker in the WH, but her liability has to be her real motiviation. Nice angle. Miller is such scum. I hope the special prosecutor seeks criminal contempt or at least halls her into court once the case(s) goes to trial so she has to take the fifth openly. Then maybe the NY Times will finally fire the neocon shill B*&tch. Even if she doesn't do jailtime, her career will be in ruins, her reputation irrevocably damaged. And that'd be poetic justice, at least.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#2)
    by theologicus on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:20 PM EST
    Even if she doesn't do jailtime, her career will be in ruins. Well, maybe. And maybe Al Leiter will continue to pitch every game as well for the Yankees as he did last night against the Red Sox. But to paraphrase H. L. Mencken: Anyone who writes like Judith Miler need never lunch alone.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#3)
    by Richard Aubrey on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:20 PM EST
    Jeez. I love conspiracy theories, the less credible the better. My take is Fitzgerald has figured out how to get the issue where she burned an investigation into an Islamic terror front charity case and wouldn't tell him who from his office told her. It's a stretch, but that makes it more fun.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#4)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:20 PM EST
    Ed Wood"s Martin Landau as Bela Legosi, while the press photographs him in a drug rehab clinic, says to Wood: "Any press is good press."

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:20 PM EST
    "Is that kind of scenario—assisting someone in the administration to disseminate the disclosure of a CIA operative--- enough to hold her criminally responsible as a co-conspirator, accessory?" Well it's certainly enough for conspiracy under the espionage act.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#6)
    by Richard Aubrey on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:21 PM EST
    Ginger. If that is truly part of the espionage act, the problem would be "operative". I don't know the definition the CIA uses, but it appears that Novak uses it all the time to sex up his writing. So if Plame was an "operative" working at an overt desk job at Langley, and if her name was sufficiently secret that somebody saying it was a major change in her known/unknown status, there might be a crime. But it appears she was just a mid-level analyst from the time she got back. She was outed by Aldrich Ames, and, accidentally, by the CIA itself when it sent some incorrectly sealed stuff to an embassy and the local intel guys read it.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#7)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:21 PM EST
    et al - Since we speculating, consider this
    The first reference to Plame being a secret agent appears in The Nation, in an article by David Corn published July 16, 2003, just two days after Novak’s column appeared. It carried this lead: “Did Bush officials blow the cover of a U.S. intelligence officer
    May's theory is that Corn must have gotten information from Wilson because Corn's article had information in it that was not in Novak's, and it was published only two days after Novak's, so what he wrote had to come at the same time, or just before Novak's was written. I would love to know the date when Corn submitted the article for publication because:
    “... he asserts that Novak “outed” Plame “as an undercover CIA officer.” Again, Novak did not do that. Rather, it is Corn who is, apparently for the first time, “outing” Plame’s “undercover” status.
    It gets better:
    “Corn also claims that Wilson “will not confirm nor deny that his wife …works for the CIA.” Corn adds: “But let’s assume she does. That would seem to mean that the Bush administration has screwed one of its own top-secret operatives in order to punish Wilson …”
    On what basis could Corn “assume” that Plame was not only working covertly but was actually a “top-secret” operative? And where did Corn get the idea that Plame had been “outed” in order to punish Wilson? That is not suggested by anything in the Novak column. Now, where did this come from? May says Wilson
    “ And here he does, finally, quote Wilson directly. Wilson says: “Naming her this way would have compromised
    The problem is, Novak’s article doesn’t. So maybe Miller spoke with Corn who called Wilson.. Or maybe Miller called Wilson, who gave her the info. She then called Corn, who called Wilson. So maybe she is protecting two sources, Wilson and Corn. It has to be somebody outside of Rove. She has already proven that she will protect a souce, no need to do more, that horse is out of the barn.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:21 PM EST
    I agree. I don't think Fitzgerald has an espionage case, stricly speaking, but he may. Could he have a case of Delivering defense information to aid foreign government? (Could Judy have passed info to Ahmed Chalabi, an agent of Iran?)But, what about obstruction of justice? What about misprison of a felony? Even Misprison of treason? It could be any of these but I think it'll be the simplest and cleanest of cases with no need for disclosure of any classified or secret info. My bet is that it the investigation is focused on an obstruction and/or perjury type of case.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#9)
    by theologicus on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:21 PM EST
    otishungry: This song's for you. The Case for Espionage

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:21 PM EST
    theo- What could be done doesn't mean what will be done. Espionage cases are very complicated for the prosecution and demand too many disclosures to comport with due process rights of defendants. That's why you almost never get spy cases going to trial. Although he could probably make the charge against a number of people in this investigation, I think Fitzgerald will stick with something like conspiracy to violate NOC non-disclosure agreements and obstruction. Possibly also perjury for Rove (on the "Novak told me first" lie), Ari (on "I never told anyone what was in the memo lie")and anyone else who's lied in the GJ. Oh, and criminal contempt for Judy will be the first indictment out of the Gate, so to speak...

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:21 PM EST
    I tend to agree that there is something flaky about Judy Miller's refusal to testify and have been pondering the possibility of her as a co-conspirator for a while. But I think people are not thinking large enough regarding this conspiracy. Fineman in Newsweek shared with us one more little secret the kewl kids have been sitting on for two years, "on a long Bush trip to Africa, Fleischer and Bartlett prompted clusters of reporters to look into the bureaucratic origins of the Wilson trip." Seems to me that sort of suggests the number of people "involved" in this is only going to go up and this is going to become one ugly conspiracy including more than Libby and Rove.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#12)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:21 PM EST
    I think I may have underestimated Miller's "involvement" with the administration. That's my hunch anyway. She took the Chalabi bait so hard, maybe she wasn't really "taking" anything, but just doing what she was told. In the heat of that time, she seems to have become a foot soldier in her own head. Ack, I sound like such an armchair hack.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#13)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:22 PM EST
    Dreamer - Prompting reporters to look into something is not illegal, immoral or fattening. Now, are you saying they were telling the reporters his wife was a CIA agent....?? (Actually, she was an analyst, but who cares about details at a time like this?) And if so, the SP has missed all these people? Gasp! RA writes:
    But it appears she was just a mid-level analyst from the time she got back.
    That's about it. I read somewhere that she was brought back to the states because the CIA believed that she had been outed by the internal CIA spy, Aldrich Ames.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#14)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:22 PM EST
    Here's the farout question to ponder: Could Judith Miller be a CIA operative herself? If someone already posed it on this thread, my apolgies and credit to you. But it just hit me as something to think about.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:22 PM EST
    Judy Miller is a SPOOK. Spooks in journalist clothing -- nothing new to fascist governments.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#16)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:22 PM EST
    "Actually, she was an analyst, but who cares about details at a time like this?" That is a flat out RNC lie. Not only was she covert, which even her family outside of her huband didn't know, she was covert w/o protection of Diplomatic Immunity. she could have been shot had she ever been caught. This point has been proven over and over on this site; anyone who says different is just drinking the kool-aid. Repeating a lie does not make it the truth.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#17)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:22 PM EST
    sailor - Have a sip yourself. It will give you enough strength to understand that this is an issue. Articles in the NYT and WP have indicated that she was not covert because she had returned to the states for over 5 years. This was also noted by ex-AG Toenisng. sailor, nothing is forever. Secret Clearance, for example, is lost after a period of nonuse, based on the fact that it’s a "need to know" faction. "Covert" designation appears to work the same. How can someone going to work everyday at CIA headquarters maintain a non-CIA cover? It is laughable, and only a confirmed leftie would even attempt to do so. Plus, Wilson himself obviously was talking about his wife to David Corn, based on Corn's article. Who else would have the information? Novak didn't have it, or write. Fact is, the case isn't about that. The SP is apparently trying to make a perjury or obstruction case. Against who remains to be seen.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#18)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:22 PM EST
    Once again, no proof. Provide links from the specific sources, (including context and the original, not the rnc doctored misquotes) and provide dates/times for those sources, (because many articles issued corrections.)

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#19)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:22 PM EST
    sailor - I have previously linked'em. In your case it is obviously, no read.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#20)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:22 PM EST
    Really!? Provide links.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#21)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:22 PM EST
    Miller is a Bush administration mouthpiece. If she reveals that she is working for Rove, Inc., she's toast as a journalist. She can only hope Scooter and KKKarl don't f**k up. I think she's shaking in her prison-issue shoes. Novak really screwed her over.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#22)
    by skippybkroo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:23 PM EST
    ppj - gotta go with sailor on this one. links are so incredibly easy to make in blogtopia (yes! i coined that phrase). it's a ridiculous argument (and more than a bit disingenuous) to say "i already made a link somewhere else, don't make me do all that heavy lifting again." when it's so incredibly simple to make a link, it's not asking too much for someone to say please prove your argument or concede.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#23)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:23 PM EST
    skippy - If you read here you know that I regularly and routinely provide links. For me to keep all my links, I have to keep the source, which right now is around 80 +, or go to google to find them again, or go the archives of this blog, etc. That's wearisome. sailor is a regular on the blog, so he read'em and is just trying to be a pain in the butt. But, I may take time today to dig one or two out. Or I may just decide that sailor will ignore them again and tyhe effort is not worth it.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#24)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:23 PM EST
    sailor - Just because I am in a very good mood, here's 7-15 05:15PM 7-13 08:43PM 7-5 09:12AM Note: On the above link, you will be directed to the link in TL's post, plus it quotes from that link. Double dip from 7-5 see the Cliff May Link BTW - sailor, you had a comment two down from that one. Don't read, just write, eh? I could go, but why? you aren't going to change your mind. Anyway, here's a couple of signing off presents: Cliff May on Corn's article. Plus "When (Sen Roberts)asked how [Wilson] 'knew' that the Intelligence Community had rejected the possibility of a Niger-Iraq uranium deal, as he wrote in his book, he (Wilson) told Committee staff that his assertion may have involved 'a little literary flair.'" BTW - The above was still up on Senator Roberts website. I assume it still is. Cheers!

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#26)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:24 PM EST
    ppj, you linked to over 1000 lines of text containing factual links from me and others. All you personally linked to were talking points from the rnc. Those are not facts. Newsmax and NRO are not impartial news agencies, they are a part of the rnc wurlitzer. Cliff May!? Pat Roberts!? Oh, yes, wonderful impartial sources. Try linking to actual facts to support you allegations. Nice try.

    Re: Open Thread on Judith Miller (none / 0) (#27)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:24 PM EST
    sailor - Let me ask you. Why don't you attack the contents, rather than the source? Want to know what I think? It is because you can't. Many times I have linked to a NewsMax story that references, and quotes, a story from the NYT or WaP. But instead of reading it you stick your nose in the air and prance away because the source isn't pure. But facts are facts. You can run but you can't hide. But, since you are speaking of the purity of certain newspapers, conveniently forgetting about Jason and the NYT, the fake story at the WaPost that resulted in a Pulitzer give back, the fake seal harvest story in the Boston Globe, the BurkettGate story in CNN, and now we have the Sacramento Bee. Yes sailor, your idols are all so very, very, very pure.