October 31, 2009
Posted: October 31st, 2009 10:28 AM ET
Dick Cheney says he doesn't remember playing a role in the eventual outing of a CIA agent.
Dick Cheney says he doesn't remember playing a role in the eventual outing of a CIA agent.

Washington (CNN) – Former vice president Dick Cheney told a special prosecutor in 2004 that he had no idea who leaked the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame, according to newly released FBI documents.

Cheney was questioned as part of an investigation on how journalists came to know the identity of Plame, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who was a critic of the Iraq war.

In the interview, Cheney responded to many questions with "I do not recall."

However, he took a few stabs at the CIA in its handling of White House allegations that Iraq was attempting to purchase uranium from Niger to manufacture nuclear weapons.

Wilson was dispatched to Niger on a CIA assignment to explore the charges and later said that the Bush administration was twisting facts to support an invasion of Iraq. He implied in a newspaper article that his trip was at the behest of the vice president.

Cheney's reaction to the article was that it was "amateur hour" at the CIA, according to the FBI documents, released after the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a watchdog group in Washington, sued under the Freedom of Information Act. The 28-page summary of the Cheney interview was made public more than five years after it took place.

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Filed under: Dick Cheney


JonDie   October 31st, 2009 2:59 pm ET

That's called PERJURY. Indict Cheney today!

DawnL,CA   October 31st, 2009 2:56 pm ET

Why is Cheney not in jail? He outed Plame, ruined her career & put in danger any of her contacts. Libby took the fall for him & should have gotten jail time.

Bill Lewis in Austin   October 31st, 2009 2:56 pm ET

The best thing that could happen to Cheney is if the media would just ignore him. Without an audience, maybe he'll go back home??

Amir Goy   October 31st, 2009 2:55 pm ET

The almost universal, and highly justifiable... loathing of this particularly repellent figure... pales in comparison to the fact that both parties and their assorted head honchos remain unaccountable for the rampant criminality that most of the rest of the world plainly perceives the whole rotten system to be responsible for!

American Expat   October 31st, 2009 2:53 pm ET

If you see Cheney's mouth moving, you can be assured he is telling another of his lies. On another issue in which Cheney was involved is just how Halliburton, his old company and from which he still receives benefits, was able to land that sole source contract in Iraq and milk it for so long. There was significant evidence that he steered the award, but apparently no one has the guts to investigate just how all that came about. I still hope some agency gets around to that issue, but I guess that hope is in vain!

Michelle   October 31st, 2009 2:53 pm ET

This guy IS a threat to National security! I am so happy he is OUT!

wackymaggie   October 31st, 2009 2:40 pm ET

His pants must constantly be on fire. What a cold, calulating, criminal, not bothered by a conscience. Put him in jail (at Guantanamo preferably).

FRANK, Las Vegas   October 31st, 2009 2:35 pm ET

It's obvious that Cheney and his daughter are speaking out all the time about anything and everything for only one reason. They are trying to keep old Dicky out of jail. Now that the bars are closing in on him you can expect to hear even more lies from them. It's hard to tell who is the bigger liar between them but I think it's daughter Cheney.

Carmela, Longwood, Florida   October 31st, 2009 2:31 pm ET

Funny how this old hag has such fresh recollections for other things, however, not so for the biggest crime he may have committed in his life: outing a CIA agent, just because he resented her husband's op ed piece about the Bush administration's lies to the country. Cheney is an evil man who should be in jail for all the harm he brought to our country. This man has no moral fiber in his body. His arrogance knows no boundaries, and I since hope he gets his comeuppance, even if it's later rather than sooner.

KR   October 31st, 2009 2:30 pm ET

YES YOU DID.

B   October 31st, 2009 2:18 pm ET

This man is a criminal and should have been impeached when they had the chance. He is a bold face liar and should be in prison.

Just wait, some day we will find out the truth when it all gets declassified in twenty years or so from now.....

T Mckinley   October 31st, 2009 2:04 pm ET

Once more, Dick Cheney is LYING to the American people. Cheney not only knows who leaked Valarie Plame's idenity, but was very likely involved in this crime himself.

BTW Dick, has anyone found Saddam's WMDs yet?

cbc   October 31st, 2009 2:03 pm ET

Liar, Liar, pants on fire..!

dbacchus   October 31st, 2009 1:59 pm ET

Cheney should be in prison. If our goverment can't put this criminal behind bars, he should be extradited to Iraq.

James Michael Roberson   October 31st, 2009 1:51 pm ET

Why has this criminal not been brought to justice?

jason   October 31st, 2009 1:40 pm ET

Did he try looking in the mirror? That is where he'll find the culprit.

bob   October 31st, 2009 1:37 pm ET

Do you recall the part where Bush cut anti-terrorism funding to the FBI on September 10, 2001?

SV   October 31st, 2009 1:28 pm ET

Now Mr.Cheney seems to have a better memory – LOL

Jeff   October 31st, 2009 1:25 pm ET

Add liar to the list of adjectives to describe Dick Cheney. At the top of the list is coward because he chose not to serve his nation.

Hannah   October 31st, 2009 1:22 pm ET

Dick Cheney – lies and obfuscation! This man along with many of the bush people should be in jail.

janelle   October 31st, 2009 1:01 pm ET

Of course the administration is releasing this now. Let's give the masses something to be in a tizzy about and waste their 72 hours of being able to read through the 2000 page health reform bill. This way it can get rammed through without anyone knowing what's actually in it because everyone was too busy having a fit over Cheney.

Luis   October 31st, 2009 12:55 pm ET

This is very funny those people that vote for bush/Cheney are now mad at him because what this Admin did to this country . i really hope that this country allow bush and cheney to run again , i am very shore american people will vote bush/cheney again

American need another bush and cheney to save this country :)

VnVet   October 31st, 2009 12:52 pm ET

Since Cheney knows so much about war, here's what he should do: because he had "other priorities" and got 5 – count 'em, 5 – draft deferments from serving in Vietnam, he should volunteer for 1 tour in Afghanstain and 1 tour in Iraq. His shooting ability should soon wipe out most of the enemies. Plus, he could also volunteer to be point man on all patrols.

Randy, San Francisco   October 31st, 2009 12:49 pm ET

Did you really expect the man who ordered the leak to tell the truth?

Tony in Maine   October 31st, 2009 12:45 pm ET

I'm reminded of a don at Congressional hearings decades ago who kept repeating, "I don't recall," in between taking the 5th on questions like, "What day is it?"

Dick Cheney is a criminal and belongs in prison.

Jacob   October 31st, 2009 12:32 pm ET

why has he not been put on trail!?

doob   October 31st, 2009 12:28 pm ET

.....and he wants to give Obama advice...hmmmmmm!

James P   October 31st, 2009 12:28 pm ET

Obvious story is obvious. Is this another news article about how Cheney has enough money and influence to get out of practically anything? Do we seriously have nothing left in regards to ethics in the USA?

Chicago   October 31st, 2009 12:26 pm ET

Hmmmmm. Didn't Martha get jail time for lying to the FBI? I thought lying to the FBI is prosecutible.

J.C. - Independent & Insured   October 31st, 2009 12:18 pm ET

This is USA, not Asia. We do not prosecute our leaders no matter what they did in office. The worst is impeachment. If you did not impeach Bush or Cheney, it's over. Let's move onto other important issues facing our country such as health care reform.

How does one defend this?   October 31st, 2009 12:10 pm ET

How sad that the former Vice President of the most powerful country on earth has to resort to lies when caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Obviously he knew about the Plame leak. Obviously Liddy took the fall for him. Obviously he was angry about Joe Wilson (not the "you lied" idiot Joe Wilson, but the other one who helped expose the truth) not finding the yellow stuff. OMG, what has our country come to when lies from our most powerful leaders become the expected. Especially when it concerns something like national security. The hypocricy is overwhelming.

Georgia   October 31st, 2009 12:08 pm ET

Cheney isn't even man enough to admit that "he" is the one that leaked it and SHOULD have gone to jail for it instead of Libby.

He is the same man that wasn't man enough to serve in the military himself – yet asked over 4,000 American's to die serving HIM in a war that never should have happened (and only happened because he wanted his oil companies and war contractors that worked on NO-BID Contracts to profit from the war!).

Republican's = Incompetence! Neocon's = Morons!

b   October 31st, 2009 12:05 pm ET

You know, I'm pretty sure I know what would happen to someone like you or me if we lied to a special prosecutor. But Dick gets, like, another book deal and puts his kid on TV to lie by proxy and pull in a paycheck.

Republicans, you will be haunted by this spectre for decades to come. Congrats.

Laurie   October 31st, 2009 12:05 pm ET

Why is he dithering????????

Bob   October 31st, 2009 12:05 pm ET

What do you expect from a man who cut his teeth in another corrupt White House, The Nixon White house.

Seems lies and a weaker America follow Cheney when he is in the Whitehouse.

Tim   October 31st, 2009 11:59 am ET

Two comments:

I did not have sexual relationships with that woman

and

Richard Armitage, you know, the one who admitted to leaking her name to Novak?

But no need for relevant details.

Scott, Tucson   October 31st, 2009 11:57 am ET

Whether you like or dislike Cheney, at least he has a brain and can think on his feet, you can't say that about the current VP though.

ran   October 31st, 2009 11:54 am ET

What else was he going to say. Put him in jail already.

republicans hate america   October 31st, 2009 11:52 am ET

let me refresh your memory Dick. it was you.

vic nashville , Tn   October 31st, 2009 11:51 am ET

Cheney can’t remember any thing how he recall this

independent   October 31st, 2009 11:45 am ET

Where are you now Eric Holder, the Nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

SHIRLEY "61"   October 31st, 2009 11:36 am ET

The more I hear of the Cheneys, the more I know that they are nuts and liars trying to make everyone think just as nutty as they do. This man is a traitor and a coward to this country, and will judged as such by all sane, reasonable citizens.

Terry from West Texas   October 31st, 2009 11:21 am ET

Q: How can you tell if a Conservative is lying?
A: Check to see if he is breathing.

Blue   October 31st, 2009 11:20 am ET

He can only remember what he wants to remember. I feel as VP Biden does, who cares what Cheney thinks or says. Your fifteen minutes are up. GO HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Williams from Minnesota   October 31st, 2009 11:14 am ET

"Amateur Hour"? You mean, like the way you handled Iraq and Afghanistan for 7 years?

Larry   October 31st, 2009 11:06 am ET

Cheney is the most vicious man that has ever walked the White House floors

He deserves to be in prison along with Bush and Rove, but their money will buy that off

And Liz is not far behind, a sure chip off the old liars block

payback   October 31st, 2009 11:05 am ET

....I don't believe in HEAVEN or HELL. But, I hope you get whats coming to you and the afterlife..................YOU EVIL MAN.....

Dithering GOP   October 31st, 2009 11:03 am ET

I get it CNN does not want me to call Cheney names, but let me say this much. How can anyone take the Cheney family seriously when the man did everything he could to prevent prosecution. He lied to officials in an investigation by claiming CRS (can't remember sh=t) and had Libby take a bullet for him. No wonder he was livid when Bush refused to pardon Libby. He probably promised Libby a reprieve when he leaves office if he took the fall for him. Let's hope Libby become disallussioned someday and rat him out. Liz Cheney is disfunctional going out there defending her criminal father. What kind of disfunctional relationship does this lady have with her father? Freud would have found Liz an interesting head.

Clint, Lynnwood, Wa.   October 31st, 2009 11:01 am ET

Cheney responded to many questions with "I do not recall."

"You LIe."

Peggy   October 31st, 2009 10:58 am ET

This person is despicable. Of course he knows!!!!! Thanks for this article as it is just another reminder of how far down the previous administration took this country. Tactics like these are about as low as you can go.

Tom in Desoto, Tx   October 31st, 2009 10:56 am ET

Another day, another lie from Cheney. When I see or hear of him the word pathological comes to mind.

jaye   October 31st, 2009 10:52 am ET

I despise Cheney....I don't believe anything he says.
He's bad for our country...he and the rest of the republican party.

JIlli   October 31st, 2009 10:49 am ET

More selective amnesia. How convenient.

Lyin' sack of....

yoyolite   October 31st, 2009 10:32 am ET

Republicans and conservatives owe Nancy Pelosi an apology. She was vilified when she said The CIA lied to them. Where is the outrage now that it was confirmed that they did lie. Cheney really should be prosecuted. The mjore he speaks the deeper he digs his grave.

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