Bush Vows to Fire Anyone Convicted of Leak

By William BraniginWashington Post Staff Writer

Monday, July 18, 2005; 3:39 PM

President Bush today appeared to raise the threshold for firing any White House official who leaked the identity of a covert CIA agent, saying he would dismiss anyone who "committed a crime" in the case.

In a White House press briefing after a meeting with the visiting Indian prime minister, Bush stuck to his insistence on waiting until an investigation is complete before substantively commenting on the case of Valerie Plame, whose identity was leaked in July 2003. Plame was identified as a CIA agent working on weapons of mass destruction issues and the wife of an administration critic, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, in a column by syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak, who cited "two senior administration officials."As an investigation by a special prosecutor has continued, a lawyer for Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove has acknowledged that Rove told a Time magazine reporter that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA. But the attorney has insisted that Rove, one of Bush's top advisers and a chief political strategist, did not mention Plame by name.

Asked whether he still intends to fire anyone involved in the leak case "regardless of whether a crime was committed" and whether he was displeased that Rove told a reporter that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, Bush said: "We have a serious ongoing investigation here. And it's being played out in the press. And I think it's best that people wait until the investigation is complete before you jump to conclusions. I will do so as well. I don't know all the facts, and I want to know all the facts."

Bush added, "I would like this to end as quickly as possible so we know the facts. And if someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration."

The president did not mention Rove in his answer or address the question of whether he was displeased with him. Also left unspecified was whether an indictment in the case would trigger the firing of an official, or whether that would require a conviction.

A White House spokesman later cautioned against reading anything new into Bush's remarks.
Legal analysts have said that even though Rove may have spoken to reporters about Plame, it may be difficult to prove he violated a U.S. law that makes it a crime for an official to knowingly reveal the identity of a covert CIA agent.

Bush has previously indicated that he would fire anyone who leaked Plame's identity.
In 2003, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the suggestion that Rove was involved in the leak was "ridiculous."

McClellan said in a Sept. 29, 2003, briefing: "The president has set high standards, the highest of standards, for people in his administration. He's made it very clear to people in his administration that he expects them to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration."
In June 2004, Bush replied "yes" when asked if he would fire anyone who leaked the agent's name.>>>continued

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