The Bush Administration must love the fact that this CIA tape case broke just before Christmas and then got swept under the rug by both the holiday and the groundswell of presidential campaign hyperbolic naval gazing that’s been going since the start of this year. Despite the overall lack of coverage by the news media, the CIA tape case is moving forward on several fronts – a full run down is available on the flipside.
Attorneys for former CIA official Jose Rodriguez, have said he will not testify on what he knows of the CIA tape destruction before congress without immunity. This comes as the criminal inquiry goes forward in the case, lawyers for Rodriguez are concerned that anything he would give away in congress without immunity could then be used against him in the criminal proceeding. Which, then, for all of you playing the home game shows that there are things to give away.
The question remains as to what the understanding of immunity is from the Rodriguez camp. If it goes anything like the AG hearings, that could get ugly. We may be wrong here, but our understanding of immunity is it compells you to full disclosure. Obviously, depending on how good your lawyer is, full disclosure can have a number of meanings. Time will tell.
US District Court Judge Henry H. Kennedy, Jr has denied a motion brought by the lawyers of detainees at Gitmo to launch a further inquiry into this case. The judge has said that the Department of Justice investigation needs more time to go forward. Further, that the investigation by the DoJ will examine whether or not orders not to destroy evidence had been violated which was the crux of the inquiry by the detainees’.
We plan to keep following this story, especially the results of the congressional hearing, if and when Rodriguez testifies. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program Britney Breakdown Watch day 45.
Further:
Judge rejects new CIA tape probe
Ex-CIA Official May Refuse To Testify About Videotapes
