JURIST - Paper Chase: DOJ, Plame special counsel wanted Congress to block CIA ID leak probe

[JURIST] The US Department of Justice and the special counsel investigating the leak of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame [Wikipedia profile; JURIST news archive] advised Congress earlier this week to block legislation that would force the adminstration to turn over documents related to the case. The DOJ said in a Wednesday letter to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) [official website] released Thursday that special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald believed that hearings and the production of documents would interfere with his ongoing investigation. Democrats in the Congress have thusfar been unable to pass legislation to force the President and the Departments of State, Justice and Defense to give Congress documents related to Valerie Plame. House Republicans on the Intelligence Committee turned a proposed investigatory bill back on Thursday, after their counterparts on the House Judiciary Committee did so Wednesday. Plame's husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson [Wikipedia profile], claims that the leak was a response to his criticism of Bush's Iraq policy in 2003. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove [Wikipedia backgrounder] has denied leaking Plame's identity [JURIST report] to TIME magazine reporter Matthew Cooper. Reuters has more.

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