What Is Michael Mukasey Helping Dick Cheney to Cover Up?

Posted by Emptywheel, Firedoglake at 10:33 AM on June 30, 2008.

Never mind. I know the answer. Attorney General Mukasey is helping Cheney and Bush hide the fact that they played insta-declassification games that may have--though they'll never tell--included leaking Valerie Wilson's identity.

Apparently, DOJ responded to Waxman's subpoena for the Bush and Cheney interview reports by telling Waxman to go fuck himself (h/t WO).

On June 16,2008, having been informed in writing by the Justice Department that it would not produce the interview reports of the President and Vice President, the Committee issued a subpoena for those interview reports, as well as other responsive documents not previously produced, with a return date of June23,2008. On June 24,2008, the Justice Department informed the Committee by letter that it would not comply with the subpoena and would not "provide or make available any reports of interviews with the President or the Vice President from the leak investigation."

Waxman appears to be calling DOJ on whatever grounds DOJ invoked when refusing to comply with the subpoena, because he's asking Fitz for clarification on whether or not there was an agreement between him and the Barnacle Branch that would shield the FBI reports from any exposure.

To assist the Committee in evaluating the Department's position, I request that you produce the following information to the Committee no later than July 3, 2008:

1. Documents sufficient to show the date and terms of all agreements, conditions, and understandings between the Office of Special Counsel or the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the President of the United States, regarding the conduct and use of the interview or interviews of the President conducted as part of the Valerie Plame Wilson leak investigation.

2. Documents sufficient to show the date and terms of all agreements, conditions, and understandings between the Offrce of Special Counsel or the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vice President of the United States, regarding the conduct and use of the interview or interviews of the Vice President conducted as part of the Valerie Plame Wilson leak investigation.

I'm guessing, but it appears that Mukasey has claimed that Fitz made some kind of agreement with Bush and Cheney, and that agreement prevents him from turning over their interview reports. But, as Waxman notes, these reports were among those that Fitzgerald determined "were not protected by Rule 6(e)."

Mukasey says there are grounds not to turn over the interview reports, Fitz has already said that reason is not grand jury secrecy, so now Waxman is going to the source (and demanding a 4 day turnaround) to find out whether Fitz believes there are other grounds not to turn over those reports.

And I thought I'd be bored during the Fourth of July recess.

Tagged as: bush, cheney, plame, mukasey