Gonzales Says He Told Card About CIA Probe

Gonzales Says He Told Card About CIA Probe

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer Sun Jul 24, 5:36 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Sunday that he notified White House chief of staff Andy Card after the Justice Department opened an investigation into who revealed a covert CIA officer's identity, but waited 12 hours to tell anyone else in the executive mansion.

The White House did not respond to questions Sunday about whether Card passed that information to top Bush aide Karl Rove or anyone else, giving them advance notice to prepare for the investigation.

Gonzales was White House counsel on Sept. 29, 2003, and got the first official word inside the White House when the Justice Department opened its inquiry. Earlier that day, White House press secretary Scott McClellan had said the leak was a serious matter the Justice Department should pursue 'to the fullest extent.' McClellan also said it was 'ridiculous' to suggest Rove, Bush's top political operative, was involved.

Despite repeated denials by the White House that Rove played a part in revealing the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame, Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper recently said he first learned of her position during a discussion with Rove in July 2003. Cooper said Rove made the disclosure as he cautioned the reporter against allegations that Plame's husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, was making about faulty Iraq intelligence.

Gonzales said Justice Department lawyers notified him of the investigation around 8 p.m., and he got permission from them to wait until the following morning to direct the staff to preserve any materials related to the case.

'We were advised, `Go ahead and notify the staff early in the morning, that would be OK,'' Gonzales said on CBS' 'Face the Nation.' 'And again, most of the staff had gone home. No one knew about the investigation.'
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