WASHINGTON — "Meet the Press" moderator Tim Russert struck at the heart of former vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's defense against perjury charges Wednesday when he testified that he never gave Libby information about the wife of an Iraq war critic.
Russert was the third journalist in the trial to contradict statements Libby gave to investigators and a grand jury probing the unmasking of CIA operative Valerie Plame. Libby's conversations with reporters -- and alleged lies he told about them -- form the crux of his perjury and obstruction indictment. Libby has said that he heard about Plame from Russert, suggesting that her identity had already been disclosed by others.
Testifying in federal court, a grim-faced Russert recounted receiving a phone call from Libby the week after former envoy Joseph C. Wilson IV published a New York Times op-ed piece in July 2003 accusing the Bush administration of twisting prewar intelligence on Iraq. Russert described Libby as "agitated" and said the aide had called to complain about coverage of the growing controversy on the "Hardball" program on MSNBC, an NBC affiliate.
"What the hell is going on with 'Hardball,' " Russert recalled Libby saying. "Damn it, I'm tired of hearing my name over and over again."
Russert said Libby complained that the program and its anchor, Chris Matthews, were distorting the truth about Wilson and his allegations. Russert said he told Libby that even though he was head of the Washington bureau of NBC News, he did not have authority or responsibility over the "Hardball" program; he said he referred Libby to other NBC officials.
Under questioning by prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald, Russert said he and Libby had not discussed Wilson's wife -- or the fact that she worked for the CIA. "That would be impossible," Russert testified, "because I did not know who that person was until several days later."
Russert had resisted speaking with investigators out of concern that it would chill his ability to report in the future, but a federal judge ruled in 2004 that he was legally required to cooperate.
Russert was the latest journalist to take the witness stand. Former Time magazine correspondent Matthew Cooper and Judith Miller, a former New York Times reporter, previously testified for the government.
The defense is planning to call Washington Post editor and reporter Bob Woodward, among others, to testify that Libby did not tip them off to the identity of Wilson's wife.
