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I write to ask you to resign from the White House staff. Recent press reports
have indicated that, while you may or may not have been the source of the Robert
Novak column which revealed the status and name of a covert operative, the wife
of Ambassador Joseph Wilson, you were involved in a subsequent effort to push
this classified information to other reporters and give it even wider currency.
This itself may be a federal crime, but regardless of that fact, your actions
are morally indefensible.
In my view, it is shameful and unethical that an Administration that promised to
govern with "honor and integrity" and "change the tone" in Washington has now
engaged in an orchestrated campaign to smear and intimidate truth-telling
critics, placing them in possible physical harm and impairing the efforts and
operations of the CIA.
Recent reports indicate that you told the journalist, Chris Matthews, and
perhaps others, that Mr. Wilson's wife and her undercover status were "fair
game." Evan Thomas and Michael Isikoff, Newsweek, Oct. 13, 2003. Since these
initial allegations have arisen, neither the White House nor your office have
denied your involvement in furthering the leak.
Repeated press inquiries into this matter have been rebuffed with technical
jargon and narrow legalisms, instead of broader ethical issues. Indeed, in the
same article it appears a White House source acknowledged that you contacted
Matthews and other journalists, indicating that "it was reasonable to discuss
who sent Wilson to Niger."
It should be noted that these actions may well have violated 18 U.S.C. § 793,
which prohibits the willful or grossly negligent distribution of national
defense information that could possibly be used against the United States. The
law states that even if you lawfully knew of Mr. Wilson's wife's status, you were obliged to come forward and report the
press leak to the proper authorities - not inflame the situation by encouraging
further dissemination. 18 U.S.C. § 793(f). Larger than whether any one statute
can be read to find criminal responsibility is the issue of whether officials of
your stature will be allowed to use their influence to intimidate whistle-blowers.
Over three decades ago, our nation was scarred by an Administration that would
stop at nothing to smear and intimidate its critics. I do not believe the Nation
will countenance a repeat of such activities. For your role in this campaign, I
would ask that you resign immediately.
Sincerely,
John Conyers, Jr.
Ranking Minority Member
cc: The Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
Chairman
Committee on the Judiciary
