Last week, Obama administration officials gave arguments for why former Vice President Dick Cheney’s 2004 interview with special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald should remain secret. Fitzgerald was investigating how CIA agent Valerie Plame’s identity got leaked. Ultimately, Cheney’s chief of staff, Scooter Libby, was convicted of obstruction of justice in the matter. The liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) wants to know why Cheney didn’t get prosecuted, and has sued for release of the interview.
But Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Smith said disclosure would have a “chilling effect” on future administration officials’ willingness to cooperate voluntarily with investigations, and that officials might not comply with future requests out of fear ”that it’s going to get on ‘The Daily Show’.”
Read our report here.
Last night, Jon Stewart responded to the Justice Department’s newest justification for blocking transparency and protecting Cheney, and the irony was lost on no one:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Cheney Predacted | ||||
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