Cooper’s Credibility in Question in Plame Case?

Cooper’s Credibility in Question
Posted by admin on 5th June 2006 @ 12:27

With Washington’s attention focused on the murky fate of top White House official Karl Rove, one surprising and potentially significant development in the ongoing CIA leak case against top White House official I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby has largely escaped notice. It concerns questions about the credibility of one of the reporters at the center of the case. To the surprise of many, however, the reporter in question is not the much-maligned ex-New York Times reporter Judith Miller – but Time magazine correspondent Matthew Cooper.

The issue surfaced recently when US District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton issued an Order and Memorandum Opinion in response to efforts by attorneys for Miller, Cooper, two journalists from NBC News and their respective news organizations to quash subpoenas from Libby’s attorneys seeking a wide range of the journalists’ work material.

After personally reviewing the documents in question, Judge Walton upheld Miller’s motion to quash her subpoena in full – meaning she would not have to turn over anything – but ordered at the same time that Time magazine must turn over drafts of articles written by Cooper. Walton noted there were variations in the drafts, written after Cooper had testified before the grand jury that investigated and indicted Libby in the case involving the leaking of C.I.A. operative Valerie Plame Wilson’s name. ‘’Upon reviewing the documents presented to it, the court discerns a slight alteration between the several drafts of the articles which the defense could arguably use to impeach Cooper,'’ the judge wrote in a memorandum opinion.

“This slight alteration between the drafts will allow the defense to impeach Cooper, regardless of the substance of his trial testimony, because his trial testimony cannot be consistent with both versions,” the judge concluded. “Thus, unlike Miller, whose documents appear internally consistent and thus will only be admissible if she testifies inconsistently with these documents, Cooper’s documents will undoubtedly be admissible.”

more at:
http://www.roryoconnor.org/blog/wp-print.php?p=179

Grunwald...I think they might be divorced (not sure) but she did go with him to the Courthouse when he thought he'd be imprisoned like Miller. They share children...so maybe that was it.

But...what worried me (that went below the radar in the latest Fitz Filings...was that Fitz picked up a discrepancy with Cooper's testimony.)

I thought it might mean that things look better for Libby/Cheney/Rove if Cooper is caught with a discrepancy.

Didn't want to say it...and know many of the high powered Lefty Bloggers didn't want to call attention to it either.

Maybe it's nothing...but it worried me..:-(

Plus we have the "strange case" of the "TruthOut" thing about Rove supposedly being indicted.

Seems that games are afoot (to quote Sherlock Holmes character.)

:kick: