Reporter Not Sure Who First Told Her About CIA Operative

ByABC News
January 31, 2007, 2:17 PM

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2007— -- Former New York Times Reporter Judith Miller conceded today that she could not be "absolutely, absolutely certain" that I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was the first person to tell her that Valerie Plame, the wife of a Bush critic, was a CIA operative.

Miller made the admission while under cross-examination by William Jeffress, a lawyer for Libby.

Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is on trial for allegedly lying to the grand jury that investigated the leak of Plame's identity.

Jeffress pounced on Miller's memories and previous statements she made to the grand jury and on the TV show "The Digital Age."

Jeffress showed the jury a clip from the show where Miller said, "I had conversations with senior government officials, and not-so-senior government officials about Ms. Plame, Mr. Wilson and this issue."

Jeffress then tried to press Miller to reveal her sources. "Who were those senior government officials?"

Miller said that she was reffering to Wilson and the larger issue of the Niger-Iraq controversy. Plame's husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, criticized President Bush's assertion that Iraq was trying to buy uranium from the African country.

Jeffress also returned to the fact that Miller had Wilson's phone number in her notes as she worked on the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction hunt and questions about pre-war intelligence. "I can't remember who told me that Joe Wilson may be helpful," she said.

Miller was questioned extensively about her June 23, 2003, meeting with Libby where he allegedly told her that Wilson's wife worked in the "non-proliferation bureau."

Miller said she had been confused about the word "bureau." To her, that meant the FBI.

Jeffress then turned to Miller's Oct. 12, 2005, grand jury testimony, where she testified that the information about Valerie Wilson's job at the CIA came from Libby. "I don't remember if that was the first time," Miller said, "but it was among the first times I had ever heard it."

The defense then asked Miller about her notes and the incorrect names she had for Wilson's wife, where she had written "Valerie Flame."

"Where did you get this information?" Jeffress asked.