Democratic Senate Leadership Urges White House To Release Report On Plame Leak, Start New Investigation To Explain Public Inconsistencies
DEMOCRATIC SENATE LEADERSHIP URGES WHITE HOUSE TO RELEASE REPORT ON PLAME LEAK, START NEW INVESTIGATION TO EXPLAIN PUBLIC INCONSISTENCIES
WH Chief of Staff Should Begin a New Investigation to Respond to Public White House Statements Saying Rove Wasn't Involved
Senators Say White House Can't Have It Both Ways: One Day They Deny Top Advisers Involved in Plame Leak, Next Day They Refuse to Comment
Previous Statement by Former RNC Chairman Says Plame Leak Case Could Be 'Worse Than Watergate'
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer released a letter from the Democratic Senate leadership to White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card asking him not only to release the report on the Plame leak, but also call for a new investigation to respond to the White House statements that Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove was not involved. Schumer, who originally called for an investigation into this national security breach, initially praised the White House for pledging to get to the bottom of this terrible leak, but has been puzzled by the Administration's recent statements that it will no longer comment on the investigation or Karl Rove's potential link to the incident.
"When I first called for the investigation into the leaking of Valerie Plame's name, the White House seemed to be fully cooperative, but now they are stonewalling. They can't have it both ways - one day they deny that top advisors were involved in the leaking of a covert CIA operative, Valerie Plame, now White House Spokesman Scott McClellan refuses to comment," Schumer said.
The letter today to Chief of Staff Card signed by the Democratic Senator Leadership, Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, Chuck Schumer, and Debbie Stabenow, said, "We urge you to launch a new internal investigation immediately. The public has a right to know who else - of the top White House staff besides Mr. Rove - may have been involved. We also ask that you release the results of your initial investigation. We believe that the public has a right to see what you have discovered so far, particularly in light of inconsistent statements issued by the White House.
The letter concludes, "Anyone who is involved in the leaking of a covert agent's identity, especially for political purposes, does not deserve the privilege of serving as a senior advisor to the President of the United States."
Schumer yesterday released a letter to Deputy Attorney General James Comey, which asks about the standards under which security clearance is granted to the President's top advisors, including the Deputy Chief of Staff, and more importantly, the standards under which security clearance is suspended or revoked.
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