Cheney Failed to Answer 72 FBI Questions

Documents from Interview in Valerie Plame Case Show Vice President was Unclear on Many Points, Big and Small

(AP)  Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald famously declared in the Valerie Plame affair that "there is a cloud over the vice president." Last week's release of an FBI interview summary of Dick Cheney's answers in the criminal investigation underscores why Fitzgerald felt that way.

On 72 occasions, according to the 28-page FBI summary, Cheney equivocated to the FBI during his lengthy May 2004 interview, saying he could not be certain in his answers to questions about matters large and small in the Plame controversy.

The Cheney interview reflects a team of prosecutors and FBI agents trying to find out whether the leaks of Plame's CIA identity were orchestrated at the highest level of the White House and carried out by, among others, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Cheney's chief of staff.

Among the most basic questions for Cheney in the Plame probe: How did Libby find out that the wife of Bush administration war critic Joseph Wilson worked at the CIA?

Libby's own handwritten notes suggest Libby found out from Cheney. When Libby discovered Cheney's reference to Plame and the CIA in his notes - notes that Libby knew he would soon have to turn over to the FBI - the chief of staff went to the vice president, probably in late September or early October 2003.

Sharing the information with Cheney was in itself an unusual step at the outset of a criminal investigation in which potential White House witnesses were being ordered by their superiors not to talk to each other about the Plame matter.

"It turns out that I have a note that I had heard about" Plame's CIA identity "from you," Libby says he told the vice president.

And what did Cheney say in response? Fitzgerald asked Libby in front of a federal grand jury six months later.

"He didn't say much," Libby replied. "You know, he said something about 'From me?' something like that, and tilted his head, something he does commonly, and that was that."

Cheney's version of the conversation, as related in the FBI interview summary?

Cheney "cannot recall Scooter Libby telling him how he first heard of Valerie Wilson. It is possible Libby may have learned about Valerie Wilson's employment from the vice president ... but the vice president has no specific recollection of such a conversation."

On another basic point, Cheney simply refused to answer.

Fitzgerald had gathered evidence that Cheney apparently persuaded President George W. Bush to hurriedly declassify portions of a prewar National Intelligence Estimate on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The declassification was followed by Libby providing the information to a New York Times reporter while simultaneously talking to reporters about Plame's CIA identity.

As Fitzgerald pressed the issue in the FBI interview, Cheney refused to confirm any discussion with Bush, saying that he must refrain from commenting about any private or privileged conversations he may have had with the president.

It was an instance of Libby, who had testified two months earlier to a federal grand jury, being more forthcoming than Cheney.

Prosecutors obtained information about the leaking of the declassified NIE from Cheney's chief of staff, who testified that he had talked to New York Times reporter Judith Miller about the National Intelligence Estimate following the "president's approval relayed to me through the vice president."

Cheney's FBI interview is a study in contrasts.

Expressing uncertainty on many areas he was being questioned about and refusing to discuss another area altogether, Cheney was emphatic on at least one basic point.

According to the FBI summary, Cheney said there was no discussion of using Plame's employment with the CIA to counter her husband's criticism that the Bush administration had manipulated prewar intelligence to exaggerate the Iraqi threat. There was no discussion, Cheney insisted, of "pushing back" on Joseph Wilson's credibility by raising the issue of nepotism, the fact that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, the same agency that dispatched him to the African nation of Niger to run down the report of an agreement to supply uranium "yellowcake" to Iraq.

It was one example of Cheney being categorical and Libby seeming uncertain.

"In a prior FBI interview, you indicated it was possible that you may have talked to the Vice President on Air Force Two ... about whether you should share the information with the press about Wilson's wife?" the prosecutor asked Libby in his grand jury testimony.

"It's possible that would have been one of the times I could have talked to him about what I had learned," Libby replied.

"As you sit here today, do you recall whether you had such a conversation with the vice president on Air Force Two?" the prosecutor asked.

"No, sir. My, my best recollection of that conversation was what I had on my note card which we have produced which doesn't reflect anything about that," Libby replied.

Libby was indicted, tried and convicted for perjury, obstruction and lying to the FBI. The president commuted his 30-month prison sentence, but rejected Cheney's pleas in the last days of the administration to pardon the vice president's former chief of staff.

The Cheney interview summary was released Friday to the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which sued to get the material under the Freedom of Information Act.

[babooph]

Only a very careful propaganda system could have gotten such a lowlife idiot in power in the 1st place-30 years of his rotten behavior is the US citizens reward...

[ibsteve2u]

Rove is a master, isn't he?

[hungry1968-17]

ibsteve2u:

With the condition that Bush left the country in, I would say that Rove is closer to "terrorist", than he is to "master".

[erb0087]

"Cheney-Palin 2012
Hilarious bumper sticker Only $2.99
Republicans hate 'em! Free shipping"

What's so hilarious about that ?

Elizabeth Cheney and Bristol Palin would make a dynamite ticket.

[erb0087]

Have they considered renditioning D-ick Cheney to Egypt or Syria ?

I know that's harsh.

But some people suspect Cheney of being involved in the 9/11 attack. And CIA Director Leon Panetta has suggested Cheney would like to see another terrorist attack on U.S. soil during the Obama presidency.

Probably not true, but can we afford to take that chance ?

The Egyptian secret police would quickly get the truth out of Cheney.

Sometimes it's necessary to work on the dark side, if you will.

[heartoftheocean1929]

CBS NEWS....just read "WHAT HAPPENED" Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception by Scott McClellan...on pages 2 and 3 McClellan admits he was lied to by VP Cheney, Libby, Rove, and Andrew Card...

FROM PAGE 3 (2nd Paragraph)

"THE PUBLIC ASSURANCES I PROVIDED THAT OCTOBER 10 WOULD BE MY FINAL COMMENTS FROM THE PPODIUM DENYING THAT ROVE AND LIBBY HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN THE OUTING OF A COVERT CIA OFFICIAL, AND MY FINAL COMMENTS ON ANY OTHER MATTER WHICH MIGHT BE PART OF THE CRIMIINAL INVESTIGATION THAT THE LEAKING OF PLAME'S NAME HAD ALREADY SPAWNED.

THERE WAS A PROBLEM. WHAT I'D SAID WAS NOT TRUE.

I HAD UNKNOWINGLY PASSED ALONG FALSE INFORMATION. AND FIVE OF THE HIGHEST-RANKING OFFICIALS IN THE ADMINISTRATION WERE INVOLVED IN MY DOING SO: ROVE, LIBBY, VP CHANEY, THE PRESIDENT'S CHIEF OF STAFF ANDREW CARD, AND THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF.

FOR MY NEXT TWO YEARS AS PRESS SECRETARY, THE FALSE WORDS I UTTERED AT THAT FRIDAY'S BRIEFING WOULD STAND AS THE OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE POSITION ON THE PLAME CASE. LITTLE DID I KNOW AT THE TIME THAT WHAT I SAID, AND THE PERVASIVE DECEPTION UNDERLYING IT, WOULD BE MY UNDOING AS THE PRESIDENT'S CHIEF SPOKESMAN.

I HAD ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DECEIVED INTO UNKNOWINGLY PASSING ALONG A FALSEHOOD. IT WOULD ULTIMATELY PROVE FATAL TO MY ABILITY TO SERVE THE PRESIDENT EFFECTIVELY.

I DIDN'T LEARN THAT WHAT I'D SAID WAS UNTRUE UNTIL THE MEDIA BEGAN TO FIGURE IT OUT ALMOST TWO YEARS LATER. NEITHER, I BELIEVE, DID PRESIDENT BUSH. HE TOO HAD BEEN DECEIVED, AND THEREFORE BECAME UNWITTINGLY INVOLED IN DECEIVING ME. BUT THE TOP WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS WHO KNEW THE THRUTH----INCLUDING ROVE, LIBBY, AND POSSIBLY VP CHENEY----ALLOWED ME, EVEN ENCOURAGED ME, TO REPEAT A LIE."

it's all there folks...you want the truth Scott McClellan knows the truth and stated so in his book....why was this not brought up in this investigation?

Scott McClellan's book was published in 2008.

[ibsteve2u]

Doesn't matter. Fox and Rush only give credence to the stories told by those who support the right's position come hades or high water, and the right's pawns among America's masses only give credence to what comes from Fox or Rush.

Kind of a snake-eating-its-own-tale (no, that ain't a typo) thing.

[watervliet]

YOU ARE IN THE SAME COMPANY OF RUSH LIMBAUGH, GLEN BECK, HANNITY OF FOX NEWS, SARAH PALIN.... S-U-C-K-S!!!!

[starleo146]

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said he had no idea who released Plame's identity as a CIA agent. (AP)

YOU LIE!!!!!!

[starleo146]

SPEAKING OF HANNITY, he shows this film of thousand of protesters against Obama. It turned out to be a film of a crowd right after 9/11. He would have got away with it only he was found out, and had to admit it today.They made a mistake he said. Yeah you do it all the time, and people believe what you say,even though I will ever understand why people ever even listen to such a idiot. Faux Nooz folks this is how they work. Your President was right when he said,"they falsify there opinion news."

[johndevinejr]

How can you tell if Cheney is lying?

His lips are moveing!

[spillover]

You guys kill me, it's only republicans that lie or commit crimes. Get a grip they do it on both sides but if you really wanted to keep score I don't think you would like the outcome.

[slownewsday-05]

spillover -

he didn't say "only republicans" - he said Cheney.

Get a grip yourself.

[ibsteve2u]

Republican crimes, however, generally do result in a much higher body count, many more zeroes after the amount of money stolen or fraudulently obtained, or both.

[noloyalisti]

The leader of the Bush Crime Family must be prosecuted. Otherwise we have no justice here anymore and you can kiss American goodbye.

[heartoftheocean1929]

That would be Bush Sr and VP Cheney...Jr's shadow administration...Sr was running the administration when we went into Iraq, through Dick Cheney wasn't it....

well, Sr. is about to bit the dust...the WORLD is after him\\

Ben Fulford is a Forbes journalist reporting from Japan.

www.benjaminfulford.typepad.com

[erb0087]

Why is the Justice Department dithering ?

The criminal investigation of D-ick Cheney should have begun long ago.

[rocketjl]

Not sure what this article is saying (?). Is Chaney innocent of any 'provable' wrong doing unless the FBI can get him to give the desired answers to these 72 questions. Heck, sounds like they could get enough to execute Mother Teresa if she answered all of their questions with the desired answers. Seems like we all better think before we answer 'questions'. I don't like Chaney much one way or the other. However, I love the Constitution one heck of a lot more than the FBI and fore-sure the Attorney General's office. Fish or cut bait, leave the man alone unless you got something.

[jasperlily]

Waterboard the megalomaniac. He claims it works.

[michigander62]

Way to go Dick. Stuff the FBI you know the guys who allowed 911 to happen because they were to stupid to do a thorough invetigation. The same guys who shot and killed innocent people on Ruby Ridge and Waco. Oh yes the vaunted bunch of jobbernowls in the hoover building.

[steve8313]

Are they trying to tell us that a war criminal LIED!?! Really!?!

[jbright9]

This man is a weasel. He should be in prison. He and the other neocons came close to ruining this great nation. We will be paying the price for their unjust war and the disdain towards us from other nations for generations.

If you voted for Bush/Cheney, you should hang your head in shame.

[berlinfoto-2009]

Just a quote mind you, from "THE AUTHORITARIANS" by Bob Altemeyer, In printed version of book page 3 third paragraph.
"But why should you even bother reading this book? I would offer three reasons. First, if you are concerned about what has happened in America since a radical right-wing segment of the population began taking control of the government about a dozen years ago, I think you'll find a lot in this book that says your fears are well founded. As many have pointed out, the Republic is once again passing through perilous times. The concept of a constitutional democracy has been under attack--and by the American government no less!"
Read the book for free it is online complete, and at no cost to you. Educate yourselves please.

[spillover]

Same goes for your glorious leader Odumbo.

[dronemonk]

They crucified Martha Stewart for this same behavior. We are no longer a nation of laws...we are now a nation of men. If the law doesn't play the same for the powerful and wealthy as it does for the merely wealthy, how do you suppose it plays for those who are powerless and poor?

[earlysaid]

Some people in the Bush administration were above the law and have not and will not be held accountable for their criminal behavior.

[stryker54]

There are many people in Washington and both parties that they believe are "Above The Law" in every administration we have had this same problem for generations. You Morons think Bush and Cheney are the first? Even your messiah fells the same way as many of his cabinet and associates. Washington has been corrupt for years and still is, Repubs and Dems alike. 95% are crooked, hey most are liars, I mean lawyers.

[decotoguy]

"I DON'T HAVE TO SHOW YOU NO STINKING BADGES"

[dnamj]

Is there some reason why this guy isn't in jail?

[taxchurches]

If Cheney had just shut up and gone away, he wouldn't be under this media scrutiny. Nobody cares about former -- or even current -- vice presidents much. But since he has insisted on serving the neo-con agenda, he has stayed in the limelight. Put this POS in prison where he belongs.

[imnho]

Its had to belive that Cheney's memory failed 72 times in one day. This was stright arrogant perjury. He let one of his aides rake the fall for a deliberate leaking of a covert CIA agent. He is not embrassed at all over what he has done. Of course he not embrassed about doging the draft either.

[blitzder]

And this two bit criminal called Clinton for his 'lie' and went all the way to impeachment. In actual fact Cheney lied 72 times. Republican hypocrisy is its most pathetic shamelessness. This man is pure evil.

[BillCue]

a name that begins with C and ends with Y that means PUKE!

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

You really need to work on your material.

[lilbear925]

Dick Cheney is an EX-Vice President, for crying out loud. Just like Al Gore. He should have the same clout as a normal citizen now, and be subject to the same scrutiny as a regular citizen...which would have a normal person in jail instead of trying to advise thegovernment what to do. Maybe he can just shut up and fade away, since he is no longer in office.