CIA turns over secret presidential briefing summaries to Libby defense team News
CIA turns over secret presidential briefing summaries to Libby defense team

[JURIST] The CIA reported in documents filed Thursday in the leak case [JURIST news archive] involving former vice-presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby [defense profile; JURIST news archive] that it has turned over to Libby's defense team redacted summaries of originally-classified daily presidential briefings. The defense sought the summaries to support Libby's contention that he was so busy with security matters around the time of the leak that he simply forget his conversation with reporters about the identity of former CIA operative Valerie Plame. The CIA turned over briefing summaries spanning the summer of 2003, when Libby allegedly told reporters of Plame's CIA affiliation, as well as fall 2003 and March 2004, when Libby was questioned by the FBI and when he testified before a federal grand jury, respectively.

In March, US DC District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton granted Libby limited access to the briefings [JURIST report] over the protests of the FBI, which voiced concern that releasing the secret briefings could compromise national security [JURIST report]. Libby faces perjury charges [PDF indictment] for lying to federal investigators and a federal grand jury about what he told reporters regarding the identity of then-CIA-operative Valerie Plame. AP has more.