CREW LAWSUIT SEEKS RELEASE OF CHENEY INTERVIEW ON LEAK OF VALERIE PLAME WILSON’S CIA IDENTITY

19 Jun 2009 // Washington, D.C. – Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) argued yesterday in U.S. District Courthouse in Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. U.S. Dep’t of Justice, for which CREW is seeking, under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), a copy of the interview former Vice President Dick Cheney gave to the FBI as part of the criminal investigation into the leak of Valerie Plame Wilson’s covert CIA identity. The Bush administration refused to disclose the interview, claiming among other things that future White House officials would be unwilling to cooperate with criminal investigations if they knew their interviews could someday be made public. Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, who headed the investigation, has confirmed that Mr. Cheney was not promised any confidentiality and Mr. Fitzgerald has stated he sees no ongoing law enforcement need to keep the interview secret. Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey also refused to turn over the document to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

On April 8, 2009, CREW requested that the Obama administration release the interview in light of President Obama’s oft-stated claims of a commitment to transparency and accountability and Attorney General Holder’s promise of a presumption of openness. The current administration has refused release the interview, siding with the Bush administration in keeping secret a document that would shed light on the former vice president’s role in destroying Valerie Plame Wilson’s covert CIA career and jeopardizing the lives of others with whom she came in contact.