Why isn't Novak being indicted?

[MessiahRp]

Libby, Rove and Cheney certainly leaked this deal so they should be in trouble, but Novak has to know it's a crime to out an undercover CIA agent and yet he published that anyways. (Did Judith Miller do the same?)

Any reporter that published that information should be under investigation as well. If the question is whether or not Novak and others knew she was "undercover", from my recollection everyone in the news knew immediately what he had done in outing her so I don't believe he didn't know for a second.

Novak and others (Miller?) should be indicted today as well.

Rp

[emulatorloo]

1. because he sang to the grand jury, at least per this article

wait a minute I will be back w a snip and a link:

<snip>

A critical early success for Fitzgerald was winning the cooperation of Robert D. Novak, the Chicago Sun-Times columnist who named Plame in a July 2003 story and attributed key information to "two senior administration officials." Legal sources said Novak avoided a fight and quietly helped the special counsel's inquiry, although neither the columnist nor his attorney have said so publicly.

<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/23/AR2005102301028_pf.html

[bryant69]

2. They didn't have the information under priviileged circumstances

It's like if you loaned the company car to a friend and he plowed it into a tree - well you'd be fired.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[MessiahRp]

7. Yeah but isn't it well known

that outing a CIA agent publically is a crime? Lord knows Novak has enough Bush connections and since Bush I made public statements about this, it would have to be obvious. Regardless of whether or not he was in the Administration, choosing to publish information that is illegal to release, is still a crime.

Rp

[bryant69]

13. Which law ?

Which law makes it a crime for a reporter or columnist to reveal privileged information?

Bryant

[MessiahRp]

15. Isn't the law relating to CIA operatives

also applicable to civilians?

Rp

[bryant69]

16. Not necessarily.

I mean if they were doing treason, yeah, I guess he could be tried for that. But if the crime is revealing priveleged information, it's only a crime if the person gets that information in a priviliged way.

Bryant

[AlCzervik]

3. He is not a government official, thats why.

[longship]

4. Because he didn't break any law.

He's still a scumbag, though.

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. Hmmm....good question

My guess would be that he was used. Unwittingly, the fuckwit listened to the criminals involved and it didn't occur to him to behave like a true journalist and check things out. He couldn't get to his PC fast enough to spew the lies for the team and do damage to those weak-willed Liberals.

[goodhue]

6. He is not a government official and he did not lie to grand jury.

The crime re outing CIA relates to government officials.

[progressoid]

8. Lets, hope that when this is all over, at least he will be unemployable

I know...wishful thinking.

[bowens43]

9. Imagine the chilling effect that would have on journalism.

no thanks

[MessiahRp]

12. I don't know that I call Novak or Miller

"journalists". Stenographers, maybe.

Journalists have a shred of moral clarity and know what information to disseminate. An undercover CIA operative's information re: political payback, is not journalism.

Rp

[wryter2000]

10. The person who broke the law

The person who broke the law was the person who had clearance to know about her CIA status and told someone who didn't have clearance. Novak wasn't under any legal obligation to keep it secret (moral obligation is something else again). So, if he cooperated fully with the investigation, which it appears he did (real brave guy, huh?), he didn't do anything criminal.

[Pithy Cherub]

11. It was therapeutic to tell all he knew! Novak

has cooperated and co-opted his partners in crime. Interesting that his article was intended to hurt Plame and ended up targeting criminal republicans in the bush administration.

IRONY: Blowback is what the CIA calls it!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

14. Think of it this way.. Leaker bad.. tool of leaker... still just a tool

He must have cooperated with the investigation, however. (Translates to sang like a bird) Or he would have been one cell over from Miller.

[formernaderite]

17. Who gave up Plame to Novak? Not Scooter or Rove...

I want to know WHO!!! Tenant?

[SoCalDem]

18. He was the stool pigeon..

He got immunity to sell out his friends

maybe he didn't "fall"..:evilgrin: