Potential Juror in CIA Leak Trial Works for the CIA

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January 18, 2007 4:20 PM

Jury selection at the trial against former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has come to a screeching halt after yesterday's quick pace.

In an ironic twist at the CIA leak trial, after numerous dismissals of jurors for bias against the current administration, a female member of the jury pool told Judge Walton, "I work for the CIA."

The woman revealed that she did not know Plame, had never met her and had not followed the case because she did not read the newspaper. She said she only watched the local ABC News channel in the mornings. Asked about what she thought of the media, the woman said, "We never hear anything positive in the news about the CIA."

Showing that Washington, D.C. is a small government town, the second potential juror said she worked at the Homeland Security Department in the inspector general's office but was dismissed from the trial for being too skeptical.

The third juror, who was also dismissed, said he could not weigh the evidence in the case because he has "strong negative feelings about the current administration and conduct of the war." He also had a close friend who was "close friends with ambassador Wilson."

The first potential juror interviewed today, a young female financial consultant, was questioned for almost an hour about her views on the war in Iraq and Vice President Cheney and if she could fairly judge the case against Libby based on the facts and evidence. "I would do everything I could to be fair," the woman said before Judge Walton.

Libby's lawyer Ted Wells asked the woman, "Tell me your opinion about whether the Bush administration lied to the American public about going to war."

"I feel betrayed," she said.

Asked by Wells about her thoughts about Vice President Cheney, the woman said of the vice president, "He's been instrumental in enacting some policies that are damaging our country."

After a brief recess, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald expressed concern about the questions and told Judge Walton, "I object to telling the jurors that this case is about politics...it's not an appropriate statement for counsel to make."

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Because of Libby's former job and connection to Cheney, Walton has allowed Libby's lawyers extensive questioning about jurors' views of the administration.

The lawyers held a long sidebar private meeting with Judge Walton on the CIA employee. The CIA woman, identified only as juror 1531, told the lawyers and judge, "Bush is not one of my favorite people." Asked her views of the vice president, she said "the same."  Later Judge Walton asked her that despite not having fond feelings for Pres. Bush would she be able to give Libby a fair trial. "Yes," said the woman who works in the CIA's directorate of operations as an IT program manager.

She had admitted to meeting George Tenet who could be called as a witness in the case but said it was only during an official ceremony.

Further evidence that Washington, D.C. has a limited jury pool, one woman who remains in the pool said she has seen Tim Russert out at restaurants but does not have any bias or views about him.

Jury selection continues this afternoon. So far 40 individuals have been interviewed in the jury selection process.

As of later this afternoon:

The woman who worked for the CIA did not make the jury pool.  She was dismissed by Judge Walton.

Only three individuals have been approved to continue in the jury pool.