October 30, 2009 / by emptywheel

 

The Email Question

There’s not much different between the FBI Agent notes and the interview report itself. But here’s one detail worth noting.

On page 19, the FBI Agent records the following answer:

doesn’t work on e-mail in office or home

It’s not surprising that Fitz asked this question, per se. After all, he asked Libby and Judy Miller the same question.

But I am mighty interested in when Fitz appears to have asked it: between the discussion about the “meat-grinder” note and his discussion about whether Cheney knew of the July 7 meeting Libby had with Judy Miller that Cheney ordered him to have (Cheney claims to know nothing about it).

The meat grinder note was written on approximately October 4, when Cheney and Libby were together in Jackson Hole, making up a cover story to explain away–among other things–Libby’s note recording Cheney’s order to leak to Judy (they were, presumably, communicating with staffers in DC remotely). The meat-grinder note was written during the period for which OVP emails were later disappeared from the server, almost certainly deliberately (ask William Ockham for an explanation, but it’s pretty clear it was deliberate).

Meaning Fitz’ thought pattern went:

  • Meat grinder note (including Cheney’s inability to explain the “Tenet, Wilson memo” note he made)–which was written on October 4
  • Emails dated in early October which were later miraculously disappeared
  • Judy Miller

It’s probably a coinkydink. But it’s an interesting thought progression Fitz was making.

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Originally Posted @ https://www.emptywheel.net/2009/10/30/the-email-question/