Reut: N.Y. Times reporter testifies again in CIA case (Fitz may extend GJ)

[DemsUnited]

By Adam Entous

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Under pressure from prosecutors, a New York Times reporter testified on Wednesday to a federal grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA operative's identity about a previously undisclosed conversation with a top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.

At her second appearance before the grand jury, Times reporter Judith Miller took questions for more than an hour after turning over notes detailing her June 23, 2003, conversation with Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis Libby. An entry in her notes referred to Joseph Wilson, covert CIA operative Valerie Plame's diplomat husband.

That conversation could help federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald establish whether the White House started targeting Wilson and possibly his wife in the weeks before Wilson publicly accused the Bush administration of twisting intelligence on Iraq.

<snip>

Two lawyers said Fitzgerald may be seeking to extend the investigation beyond the grand jury's scheduled Oct. 28 expiration because of the new information.

<snip>

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-10-13T013319Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-219200-1.xml

[John Q. Citizen]

1. The beat goes on. I wonder how long top white house

officials can hide out for?

[clydefrand]

2. Who gives him permission to extend the investigation? Gonzales?

If so, it ain't gonna happen. But if he asks for an extension and doesn't get it, people are going to be even more suspicious of this administration.

[DemsUnited]

3. The district court (in DC), same court that let Fitz throw Judy in jail

in the first place (I believe) so should be no problem getting an extension.

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00003331----000-.html

[kstewart33]

4. Reports are that Fitz met with the judge privately today

That's the reason people are thinking extension.

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

7. or maybe he asked the judge, "Can I subpoena Cheney?"

[annabanana]

5. I would view an extention as a plus...

It would likely mean that he was following the story down some new streets..

[Beetwasher]

6. Yup, I Predicted This Possibility The Other Day

I wouldn't be surprised if he did extend it and it would be a GOOD thing, even though it would drive us nuts.

Post where I made this prediction:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5027765&mesg_id=5028058

[lovuian]

8. Judith Miller's testimony has increased the scope of the

investigation!!!

[HuffleClaw]

9. extend?

can someone please enlighten me the procedure for that? i've been wondering if 'their' plan all along was to simply 'run out the clock', hence these 'last minute discoveries'. and i recall that fitzgerald's BOSS was replaced a while back by a hand-picked bushista.

[Garbo 2004]

10. Time would not have been as much of an issue if Cooper & Miller had

testified in 2004 when they were subpoenaed. Instead they fought it and litigation took much of this year along with Judy's time in the slammer.

Perhaps Judy thought to run out the clock till the grand jury's term ran out this month, figuring she then would be sprung without cooperating. But reportedly Fitz threatened to extend or empanel a new grand jury which could keep her in the slammer for as much as another 1.5 year if she still refused to cooperate.

This grand jury term already has been extended (while Cooper and Miller were appealing through the courts) and reportedly could be so again if necessary. I don't see how Fitzgerald can be accused of "running out the clock" when witnesses critical to the investigation (and the appeals court agreed with that assessment) refused to testify for months.