In one of a bunch of new filings today, Libby's team reveals something I have long suspected. Scooter Libby and Bob Novak had a previously undisclosed meeting in the time period around the Valerie Plame leak.
More details on why it might matter--and a summary of the other filing news below the fold.
I based my argument that Libby and Novak had a conversation related to the Plame leak on four pieces of evidence:
- Murray Waas reported that Rove's excuse for talking to Novak was a Frances Fragos Townsend smear. OVP--either Addington or Libby--had encouraged Novak to smear Townsend to try to generate opposition to her being named Counter-Terrorism Czar (the torture and domestic surveillance crowd thought she might put the kibosh on their fun). Rove's job was to counter that smear. If Libby seeded that smear, he almost certainly spoke to Novak during the period when they were--also--seeding the Wilson smear.
- When Libby's surrogate gave Judy clear instructions on how to testify, he made clear she shouldn't reveal that Libby spoke to Novak. Why tell Judy not to mention a Novak meeting unless one really took place?
- A Jeffress mention that Libby learned of Novak's source (Armitage) directly from Novak, and not secondhand through Rove.
- A Freudian slip in Libby's grand jury testimony about a Novak conversation.
And now, there's this subtle admission in this filing:
At various times during 2004, the grand jury issued subpoenas to reporters who had spoken to Mr. Libby. These reporters reacted to the subpoenas in different ways. Certain of them (such as Robert Novak, Glenn Kessler and Walter Pincus) testified without mounting legal challenges to the subpoenas they had received. [my emphasis]
The implication is clear--contrary to Novak's ever changing story, he also spoke to Libby at some point. Of course, that doesn't prove Libby told him anything about Plame or Wilson. Nor does it mean that either Libby or Novak were honest about the content of their discussion. Though someone almost certainly told Novak, before he spoke to Armitage, that Wilson "never worked for the CIA;" that's how Novak raised the Wilson trip with Armitage. And Novak has curiously hewn to the description of Armitage as his "primary" source rather than as his "first" source. Finally, if the conversation with Novak was innocent, then why telegraph to Judy not to talk about it?
You think the MSM might ask Novak what he spoke to Scooter Libby about?
As to the other filings, I've got two posts that summarize them. Go read them to find out how:
- Libby is trying to prevent Fitzgerald from explaining that Judy went to jail rather than testify about her conversation with Libby.
- Libby is also trying to prevent Fitzgerald from talking about the potential damage outing Plame might have--it even looks like Libby might be trying to use this ploy to prevent Fitzgerald from introducing witnesses named in the indictment.
- Libby doesn't want you to think his and Dick's insta-declassification of the NIE is illegal.
The short version of all three filings: Libby wants to prevent Fitzgerald from talking about Libby's motive for lying to investigators. I guess he'd prefer if you just thought he lied wildly for shits and giggles. Kind of like the Iraq War--shits and giggles and thousands dead.