HUFFINGTON
07.01-08.12
SQUELCHING SECRETS
also charged former CIA agent
Jeffrey Sterling with violating the
Espionage Act for leaking classified information to New York
Times reporter James Risen about
a botched attempt to lead the Iranian nuclear program astray.
That case may also come undone,
the Justice Department has said,
unless Risen is forced to testify
about his sources — a request that
ran afoul of a district court judge
and an appellate panel in May.
Now, rumors are circulating in
Washington’s good-government
community that the prosecution
recognizes that it has a weak case
against Kiriakou, too — if it has a
case at all.
Sources knowledgeable about
the case but not authorized to
speak on behalf of either party told
Huffington that prosecutors have
met several times with Kiriakou’s
defense team to discuss “hypothetical” plea deals. These hypotheticals reportedly started with
Kiriakou serving 10 years in prison.
Days before his April indictment,
the hypothetical deals had ratcheted down to no prison time, and a
guilty plea only to lying to the FBI.
Kiriakou is said to have rejected
all the offers, refusing to admit
any guilt.
Cacheris, Kiriakou’s lawyer,
“This is the heavy
hammer in the
arsenal. They keep
losing these cases
and yet they keep
reaching for it
time and again and
you’ve got to
wonder: What the
hell is up with that?”
would only say that he and prosecutors have discussed matters
related to sentencing “generally,
but nothing serious, because we’re
sort of looking to go to trial.” Asked
about plea agreements in particular,
Cacheris said, “We’ve had meetings
to discuss discovery issues. There’s
nothing on any plea agreement
pending, at least not now.”
Samborn, Fitzgerald’s spokesman, said that “Justice Department
rules prohibit discussions about
possible pleas or plea negotiations.”
Radack said that if prosecutors
are indeed talking about no jail
time, it “shows how flimsy the case
is.” If prosecutors believe Kiriakou
to be guilty of multiple espionage
charges, “surely they wouldn’t let
him walk away,” Radack said.
Matt Miller, a former Justice
Department spokesman who is