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In July 2003, her connection to the CIA was revealed by political columnist [[Robert Novak]] in his column.

In July 2003, her connection to the CIA was revealed by political columnist [[Robert Novak]] in his column.

Opponents of President's Bush [[invasion of Iraq]], particularly Democrats, accused the White House of "outing" Plame in retaliation for her husband's statement undercutting Bush's invasion rationale.

Opponents of [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]], particularly Democrats, accused the White House of "outing" Plame in retaliation for her husband's statement undercutting Bush's invasion rationale.

Much of the controversy of the affair centered on disputes over what her precise relationship was to the CIA, and whether any laws were broken when Novak and Armitage revealed the fact of her employment. Perhaps the key issue was whether anyone in the Bush administration deliberately revealed it as a way of retaliating against (or discrediting) Wilson.  

 

Much of the controversy of the affair centered on disputes over what her precise relationship was to the CIA, and whether any laws were broken when [[Robert Novak]] and [[Richard Armitage]] revealed the fact of her employment. Perhaps the key issue was whether anyone in the Bush administration deliberately revealed it as a way of retaliating against (or discrediting) Wilson.  

Bush opponents have regularly taken the position that all these matters are beyond dispute and that [[Karl Rove]], someone else close to the president, or the president himself is guilty - either of a crime or at least of a severe lapse of ethics.  

Bush opponents have regularly taken the position that all these matters are beyond dispute and that [[Karl Rove]], someone else close to the president, or the president himself is guilty - either of a crime or at least of a severe lapse of ethics.  

==Accusations of administration wrong-doing==

==Accusations of administration wrong-doing==

At the time of the Novak column, Valerie Plame was a "covert CIA employee for whom the CIA was taking affirmative measures to conceal her intelligence relationship to the United States." <ref>[http://www.salon.com/news/primary_sources/2007/05/30/plame/ Unclassified Summary of Valerie Wilsons CIA Employment And Cover History]</ref>  

At the time of the Novak column, Valerie Plame was a "covert CIA employee for whom the CIA was taking affirmative measures to conceal her intelligence relationship to the United States." <ref>[http://www.salon.com/news/primary_sources/2007/05/30/plame/ Unclassified Summary of Valerie Wilsons CIA Employment And Cover History]</ref>  

Then-Attorney General [[John Ashcroft]] was the head the initial investigation.  Justice Department and FBI officials requested a special prosecutor be named over concerns of the veracity of interviews with Karl Rove.  Attorney General Ashcroft, having connections to Karl Rove, [[recused]] himself from the case and Acting Attorney General [[James Comey]] appointed special prosecutor [[Patrick Fitzgerald]] to investigate the leak.  

Then-Attorney General [[John Ashcroft]] was the head the initial investigation.  Justice Department and FBI officials requested a special prosecutor be named over concerns of the veracity of interviews with Karl Rove.  Attorney General Ashcroft, having connections to Karl Rove, [[recused]] himself from the case and Acting Attorney General [[James Comey]] appointed special prosecutor [[Patrick Fitzgerald]] to investigate the leak.