Tim Russert testifies at Republican CIA leak scandal trial

From CNN, 2/7/07:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/07/cia.leak/index.html?eref=rss_us

Russert says he didn't give Libby agent's ID

WASHINGTON (CNN) --

NBC's Tim Russert, the last prosecution witness in Lewis "Scooter"

Libby's perjury trial, testified Wednesday he did not inform Libby of

CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity, as Libby has claimed.

Libby, the former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, told FBI

investigators and a grand jury he first learned Wilson's identity from

Russert during a conversation on July 10, 2003.

He later recanted, saying a note he found had jogged his memory, and

that he initially heard the name from Cheney about a month before.

Russert was asked by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald whether the

two discussed Wilson.

"No, that would be impossible because I did not know who that person

was until several days later," Russert said.

Asked whether Libby told him about Wilson, Russert responded, "No."

"If he had told me that, I would have asked him how he knew that, why

he knew that, what is the relevance of that. And since a national

security issue, my superiors (would) try to pursue it," the moderator

of "Meet the Press" said.

Russert added that there would be some question whether they could

broadcast the information, "because that would be a significant

story."

Libby is charged with lying and obstructing the investigation into the

leak of Plame's role as a covert CIA operative.

He says he didn't lie but was so swamped with national security issues

that he forgot details about her.

Plame's identity was revealed after her husband, former ambassador

Joseph Wilson, alleged in a New York Times editorial that the Bush

administration twisted facts to support an invasion of Iraq.

Wilson had gone to Africa to investigate claims that Iraq under Saddam

Hussein had been trying to buy a raw material to be used to build

nuclear weapons.

Wilson said he told the CIA that he had found no evidence to support

the claim but that the information later was repeated in President

Bush's State of the Union address.

Earlier Wednesday, jurors heard tapes of Libby telling a grand jury

that he learned of Plame's identity from Vice President Dick Cheney.

Libby said in the audio recordings that he came across a note that

indicated he first learned the information from Cheney.

"And so I went back to see him (Cheney) and said, 'You know I told you

something wrong before. It turns out that I have a note that I had

heard, heard about this earlier from you," Libby said in the

recordings.

'I didn't want to leave you with the wrong statement that I heard it

from Tim Russert. I had in fact heard it earlier, but I had forgotten

it."

Asked about Cheney's response, Libby said, "He didn't say much. You

know, something about 'from me,' something like that, and tilted his

head."

Libby said that before he found the note, he thought Russert first

told him about Plame.

That recording was among the last of eight hours of audio from Libby's

2004 testimony in a secret grand jury probe.

Libby's defense plans to question the credibility of Russert and has

asked the prosecutor for notes relating to any leniency he received

for his testimony.

The prosecution insists that Russert did not receive any special

treatment as part of negotiations that led to his 2004 deposition with

the FBI, in the criminal probe of Libby.

Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald said "despite a diligent search,"

the government has not been able to locate additional notes from

Russert's FBI interview on August 7, 2004.

The defense is aware of all the accommodations offered to obtain

Russert's deposition, he said.

In audio recordings played Tuesday dating to Libby's 2004 testimony in

a secret grand jury probe, Libby said he was "surprised" to hear from

Russert that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA.

"Is it your testimony under oath, you don't recall Wilson's wife

working for the CIA -- between the sixth (of July) and your

conversation with Russert?" Fitzgerald asked.

"That's correct, sir, I don't recall discussing it. I do recall being

surprised when I talked to Russert on the 10th or 11th," Libby told

Fitzgerald.

Libby and Russert talked on July 10, 2003; Russert has denied he told

Libby anything about Wilson's wife.

Wilson's article appeared on July 6, 2003.

His wife's CIA connection was revealed in a New York Times column

written by Robert Novak, eight days later.

Novak's column caused a political firestorm, and two months later

prompted an FBI probe.

During the past two weeks of testimony and evidence, prosecutors tried

to establish Vice President Dick Cheney as the first source of Libby's

knowledge that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA and sent him on the

trip.

Presenting on Thursday, Libby's defense team is expected to argue that

any discrepancies in what Libby told investigators stem from his

difficult role as a busy government official distracted by urgent

national security matters.

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Harry