McClellan Testifies About Bush Team

Video

McClellan Testifies in House About CIA Leak

Former White House spokesman Scott McClellan told a House committee Friday he doesn't know whether White House officials broke the law when they revealed CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity, nor when they tried to cover up the leak.

» LAUNCH VIDEO PLAYER

McClellan recounted a September 2003 episode, described in his book, that revolved around I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's top aide at the time, and Karl Rove, then political aide to Bush. After receiving assurances from Rove, McClellan had told reporters that Rove was not involved in the disclosure of Wilson's identity to the media.

Andrew Card, who was Bush's chief of staff, contacted McClellan on a Saturday and said that Bush and Cheney wanted him to provide the same public assurances about Libby. After speaking to Libby, McClellan said, he informed reporters that Libby was not involved.

Courtroom testimony and other evidence later showed that both Rove and Libby had spoken to reporters about Wilson, although neither was the initial source for Robert D. Novak, whose column was at the heart of the case. Libby was later convicted of lying and obstructing justice. Bush commuted Libby's prison sentence, a move that McClellan criticized.

McClellan was particularly acerbic in his criticism of Rove. He indicated that he believes Rove misled Bush about his involvement in the Wilson case and said that he would not trust testimony from Rove that was not under oath. He also said Bush should have followed through on his promise to fire anyone involved with the leak, including Rove.

"If he had adhered to his word, then Karl Rove wouldn't have . . . been in the administration," he said.

Fratto said the administration is still limited in what it can say about the case because of an ongoing civil lawsuit by Wilson and her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV. "I'm not sure, but maybe McClellan has forgotten the policy, although he repeated it many times from the podium," Fratto said in an e-mail.

Rove declined to comment.