Plame Case — Ex-CIA Agent, Husband Sue Cheney, Rove, Libby

WASHINGTON Now that columnist Robert Novak has spoken out on his part in the leak of the CIA identity of the wife of a Bush administration critic, the former CIA agent and her husband have decided to take action in federal court last Thursday.

The suit filed by Valerie Plame Wilson and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, is against Vice President Dick Cheney, his former Chief of Staff I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the president’s top advisor Karl Rove, and other unnamed senior White House officials for their role in revealing of Plame Wilson’s classified CIA status publicly.

The defendants are accused of violating the Wilsons’ constitutional and other legal rights because Mr. Wilson openly criticized President George W. Bush’s claims justifying war in Iraq in his 2003 State of the Union address.

Based on information obtained from senior administration officials, columnist Robert Novak revealed Valerie Wilson’s identity as a CIA agent in his column released on July 14, 2003. As a result of the actions of these officials, the Wilsons claim that their Constitutional rights have been violated, as well as their privacy, their safety and the safety of their children, and their job opportunities.

The Wilsons have not requested a dollar amount for damages, though the suit does seek compensation for damages, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees.