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Defense wins right to call journalist in Libby trial

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published February 9, 2007

WASHINGTON- Attorneys for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on Thursday won the opportunity to question a journalist they hope will undercut the prosecution's perjury case against the former White House aide.

A battle over the scope of the defense case began after Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald rested his case in the CIA leak trial.

The prosecution presented 11 days of testimony ending with NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert. The host of NBC's Meet the Press contradicted Libby over whether they discussed CIA operative Valerie Plame on July 10, 2003.

Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is charged with lying to the FBI and a grand jury about his talks with reporters concerning Plame and with obstructing an investigation into how her name was leaked in July 2003 after her husband, ex-Ambassador Joseph Wilson, criticized President Bush's justifications for the Iraq war.

After the jury was sent home until Monday, prosecutors joined news media attorneys in efforts to limit the defense's ability to call and question other journalists.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton ruled Libby's lawyers can call New York Times managing editor Jill Abramson. The defense wants Abramson to repeat her out-of-court denials that reporter Judith Miller urged Abramson to pursue the story of Plame's role in sending her husband to Niger to investigate whether Iraq was trying to buy uranium there for nuclear weapons.

Miller testified she recommended Abramson pursue the Plame story after Libby told her of Plame's role in the trip.

Libby denies telling Miller about Plame's CIA job or that she first proposed his trip.

Libby's attorneys say calling into question part of Miller's story will cast doubt on her recollection of her talk with Libby.

[Last modified February 9, 2007, 00:55:24]