Lawyers for the U.S. Department of Justice tried unsuccessfully to convince a federal judge to allow former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to submit her CIA-prepared talking points in place of giving actual live testimony at the trial of ex-CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling, who worked for the CIA from May 1993 to January 2002.

 

On trial for allegedly leaking national security secrets to The New York Times, Sterling’s defense fought the motion by federal prosecutors. The judge in the case ruled against the Justice Department’s effort.

 

The talking points were preferred by the government because they were the basis of an April 30, 2003, meeting at the White House with two New York Times reporters, including James Risen, on the issue of reporting national security issues.

 

The Obama administration believes Sterling was the source for chapter nine in Risen’s book, State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration. The chapter, “A Rogue Operation,” deals with intelligence operations in Iran and Rice’s failure, as National Security Advisor, to stand up to the Pentagon.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

 

Condi's Speech Will Be Better Live in CIA Leak Trial (by Jack Bouboushian, Courthouse News Service)

Feds Attack Claims of Accused CIA Leaker (by Jack Bouboushian, Courthouse News Service)