As details continue to surface, the story gets more interesting. And it’s interesting to note the role of Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales, whose reign over the Justice Department was suspect, to say the least.
By Jeff Stein
Spy Talk
WASHINGTON — Intelligence officials, angry that former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had blocked an FBI investigation into Democratic Rep. Jane Harman’s interactions with a suspected Israeli agent, tipped off Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, that Harman had been picked up on a court-ordered National Security Agency wiretap targeting the agent.
In doing so, the officials flouted an order by Gonzales not to inform Pelosi, three former national security officials said.
Pelosi, D-Calif., was not officially briefed about the probe, as was widely reported Wednesday. Instead, the information was disclosed to her privately after a planned investigation of Harman was aborted, intelligence sources said.
Pelosi’s spokesman Brendan Daly confirmed as much Wednesday.
