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“THREE SIMPLE STEPS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H9082-H9083 on Oct. 1, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THREE SIMPLE STEPS
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Miller of Michigan). Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, today, as ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary, I am calling upon the White House to take three simple steps which would send a signal that they want to get to the bottom of the growing controversy concerning the leaking of a CIA operative's name to the press.
The first thing I would ask them to do is to call upon the Attorney General to appoint a special council. The second thing I would ask that they do is to order any and all staff advisors to comply with a lie detector test. Third, I would ask the President to order his staff and advisors to waive any journalistic privilege they have as confidential sources with regard to the press.
This probe has led to the following news breaks: NBC, Brokaw, the leak: Did someone in the White House blow the cover of a CIA agent to discredit a critic of the administration?
This is from the National Journals daily briefing on politics. CBS's Rather: The CIA scandal charges that the White House blew the cover of an undercover CIA agent. An investigation is launched.
ABC's Jennings: the President's advisor says he did not leak the name of a CIA officer whose husband criticized the President.
CNN's Jay King: the President quickly left the room after this afternoon's bill-signing, ignoring shouted questions. His spokesman says Mr. Bush sees no need for an internal White House investigation and no need for an outside investigation by a special prosecutor.
White House chief of staff Andy Carr told senior staffers Monday that anyone with information about the leak should contact the Justice Department. But at this time, there is no formal directive to the White House staff, and the President is not asking for an internal review, despite reports that the illegal leak came from within the White House.
CNBC's Seigenthaler, tonight on the news: Did someone at the White House break the law by leaking the name of a top secret CIA agent?
FNC's Hume: Washington is in a frenzy over the alleged White House leak of a CIA agent's identity, but is there any evidence that it was the White House?
NBC's Miklaszewski: At the White House today, President Bush was beginning to feel political heat.
And CBS's Roberts: the White House tried to jump out in front of the potentially damaging controversy today, insisting that it would never authorize the leaking of a CIA operative's name.
Now, my recommendation is that the President call upon the Attorney General to appoint a special council. It is the only way to ensure the American public that the investigation will be performed fairly and impartially, to call upon the Attorney General to appoint the special council.
Now, if we read the Code of Federal Regulations, volume 28 at section 600.1, the Attorney General is required to appoint a special council when a ``criminal investigation of a person or matter is warranted''; and, two, the investigation ``by a United States Attorney's Office would present a conflict of interest for the Department''; and, three,
``it would be in the public interest to appoint an outside special council to assume responsibility for the matter.''
Now, it so happens all of the facts are present here. First, the allegations, if true, constitute an obvious serious criminal violation under 50 United States Code section 421. The disclosure of a name of a covert agent is punishable by up to 10 years in a Federal prison.
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