Valerie Plame sued Richard Armitage today over his role in her whole super duper secret spy non-outing.
One-time covert CIA officer Valerie Plame on Wednesday sued the former No. 2 official at the State Department for violating her privacy rights.
The suit does not accuse Richard Armitage, who was deputy secretary of state in the Bush administration, of participating in an administration conspiracy to blow her cover.
Plame added Armitage’s name to a civil suit in U.S. District Court against Vice President Dick Cheney, his former chief of staff I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby and White House adviser Karl Rove.
Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, say the White House leaked Plame’s identity as retribution for Wilson’s criticisms of prewar intelligence on Iraq.
Armitage admitted last week that he told two reporters in 2003 that Plame worked for the CIA, but he said the disclosure was inadvertent. Armitage said he knew of no plan to leak Plame’s identity; some people said that admission disproved the conspiracy theory.
By adding Armitage’s name to the suit, Plame’s lawyers set up a different scenario. They contend a White House conspiracy existed, but that Armitage’s leak was independent of it. I will be surprised if this goes to trial, due to all the questions Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame will be required to answer in discovery alone. It might also get a bit difficult if the Wilsons have to change their fantasy scenario again, as they have already had to do to fit the Armitage leak into their story. In this case, though, anything could happen. If it does go to trial we should at least get one heck of a show.
Ann Coulter covered the whole thing with one sentence:
How covert was Valerie Plame at the CIA? Her top-secret code name was “Valerie Plame.”
It’ll be a miracle if they go to trial but it’ll sure provide some good material for bloggers if it does.
I can’t wait to see Karl Roves countersuit. Talk about a sure winner
A conspiracy existed, but the outing was independent of it. Ha!
That’s like saying Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman, but a conspiracy existed, only Oswald beat the other conspirators to it.
If you believe that drivel, adjust your tinfoil hat for new communiques.
Idiots.
How come she hasn’t sued Colin Powell?
He knew that Armitage spoke to Novak, so why isn’t he part of the ‘conspiracy’ or ‘outing’?
That’s like saying Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman, but a conspiracy existed, only Oswald beat the other conspirators to it.
Do all libs have Tourette’s? Just curious.
Armitage, Powell, Magovern the CIA agents at VIP, all a pack of traitors.This plot thankfully fell through,unlike plots in the past.Bush could and should do America a favor and clean out the State Dept,and the left over leftest at the CIA assoon as possible.
Pathetic, isn’t it?
Methinks the Wilsons need to get day jobs and earn a real living like the rest of us do.
http://www.cheeseandbacon.net/mt/archives/2006/09/plame_suing_arm.html
Not only do they have to give the defense all of their evidence in the discovery process, in a case like this, but there will also there will have to be depositions given. These are like a mini grand jury, where each side has to answer questions before a judge and is transcribed by a court reporter. In some cases, there is also a video record. All of this is subject to the perjury laws, as one former president found out about the hard way. This could get very interesting even before the trial even begins
Yes, let us not forget that the Plame/Wilson’s have not even had to talk to a grand jury, nor even testify. Somewhat curious conidering the Fitzgerald investigation was completely centered around those two, yet never questioned them once.
Now that they have pressed the issue, Mr. Wilson will have no choice but to tell the truth (which he could’t do, as evidenced by the senate intelligence comittee) or face perjury charges. I think he is in a tight spot here, unless the criminalization of conservatives holds true here and ultimately lets Joe Wilson walk free since liberals don’t get in trouble for their crimes, only conservatives do.
At some point Valerie might realize that the person she needs to sue is Joe.
IANAL, but it seems to me, in my lay opinion, that this is probably a pre-emptive measure to keep the court from issuing a dismissal. Adding the person who actually confessed to the act keeps the case alive and keeps Cheney, Libby and Rove in the news.
I agree with kebil… the dems are using this as foder to keep Cheney, Libby, Rove et al. in the news and in a bad light as long as possible or at least thru the mid terms. Look for the suit to be dropped if the dems win the house. If not, they’ll use any and all efforts possible to keep Republicans in as bad a light as possible, for as long as possible.
The reason for this was…
it prevents interviewers from asking the question: “If Armitage has admitted that his was the leaker, why are you only suing Rove, Libby, and Cheney?”
She better hurry up and get that book inked before he story completely unravels and the rational public sees who she and Joe actually are.
She amd Joe are a couple of moneygrubbing liars.
Plame and Wilson filing civil suit? That’s so Fred Goldman..