CIA Leak Lawsuit

Ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife Valerie Plame spoke to reporters about their civil suit against Vice President Cheney, his former aide Lewis Libby, presidential adviser Karl Rove, and others in the White House. Ms. Plame, whose role as a United States Central Intelligence Agency operative was leaked to reporters, accused Vice President Cheney and the others of conspiring to destroy her career in retaliation against her husband's public opposition to the grounds for war in Iraq. They also answered questions from reporters. Valerie Plame Wilson was identified as a C.I.A. operative in a newspaper column by Robert Novak on July 14, 2003. The ensuing political controversy, commonly referred to as the Plame affair, or the CIA leak scandal, led, in late 2003, to a Justice Department investigation into possible violation of criminal statutes, including the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982. Former Chief of Staff for the Vice President Dick Cheney, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice.