Waxman seeks Mukasey’s help in CIA leak probe

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) is asking new Attorney General Michael Mukasey to help him advance a probe into the leak of the name of a CIA operative to the media.

{mosads}Waxman, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, petitioned Mukasey in a letter Monday to side with Congress in a battle with the White House over whether special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald can release “key documents” to the panel.

“Over the summer, Mr. Fitzgerald agreed to provide relevant documents to the committee, including records of interviews with senior White House officials,” Waxman said. “Unfortunately, the White House has been blocking Mr. Fitzgerald from providing key documents to the committee.”

The panel is investigating circumstances surrounding the leak of the name of Valerie Plame Wilson to the media. Specifically, Waxman says he wants to determine how such a leak could occur, whether the White House took “the appropriate investigative and disciplinary steps after the breach occurred,” and what steps should be taken to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future.

Waxman assured Mukasey that his inquiry was narrow. Among the documents he is seeking are those relating to interviews with President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

The lawmaker also noted that former Attorney General Janet Reno “made an independent judgment and provided numerous FBI interview reports to the Committee, including reports of interviews with President Clinton, Vice President Gore and three White House chiefs of staff.”

“I have been informed that Attorney General Reno neither sought nor obtained White House consent before providing these interview records to the committee,” Waxman added. “I believe the Justice Department should exercise the same independence in this case.”