Ex-CIA Official May Refuse To Testify About Videotapes

Congressional aides said the House intelligence committee's chairman, Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Tex.), and other lawmakers have not begun discussing how to respond to Bennett's immunity request for Rodriguez.

Committee staffers in recent weeks have begun sifting through several hundred pages of internal documents related to the case, which has been gathered together at CIA headquarters in Langley and made available for classified review.

But sources close to the case say that Rodriguez and other former officials are not being granted access to the same files. Most defense attorneys would advise a client against testifying or cooperating with a congressional investigation without access to such documents, according to sources and legal experts.

Several other current and former CIA officers also have sought outside legal help, fearing that they may be eventually become entangled in the tapes controversy. Roy Krieger, a Washington attorney who specializes in intelligence cases, says he has been approached by two officers and has heard from others of a growing nervousness in the intelligence community.

"They are very scared because of the depth and breadth of the investigation," Krieger said.

He added that the prospect of massive legal bills -- many CIA officers lack legal insurance -- is equally frightening to some. "They're looking at second mortgages and dipping into college education funds to pay the bills," Krieger said.

Staff researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.