WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- White House staff members were ordered Friday to turn over all information relevant to an investigation into the alleged leak of an undercover CIA operative's identity and also formally certify they had done so or possess no such documents.
The order was contained in a memo released to the media from White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales.
Gonzales said the 5 p.m. EDT Tuesday deadline was to "ensure compliance with the time deadlines imposed by the Department of Justice."
The Justice Department, following a complaint from the Central Intelligence Agency, is investigating allegations that senior administration officials identified Valerie Plame as a CIA employee to reporters in an apparent effort to retaliate against her husband, a former ambassador and vocal critic of the Bush administration's rationale for war against Iraq.
Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson IV, who investigated claims last year that Iraq had attempted to obtain weapons-grade uranium ore from Niger, has indicated he believes presidential adviser Karl Rove was behind the leak that implied Plame obtained the assignment for him to discredit him and his findings that no such attempt was made. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Rove denied any involvement and Wilson later retracted the allegation.
President George W. Bush has condemned the leak, ordered full cooperation with Justice Department investigators and made it clear if anyone in the White House was involved he or she would be fired. Bush does not support a call from Democrats, however, for an independent counsel to conduct a probe.
The information was allegedly given to syndicated columnist Robert Novak, who published Plame's name and identity in a July 14 column, just days after Wilson had written a commentary in The New York Times, saying no Iraq-Niger connection was found and that he had informed the administration well before President George W. Bush repeated the allegedly unfounded allegation in his State of the Union address.
Two Newsday correspondents later wrote about Novak's disclosure. The Washington Post later reported that six unidentified reporters had been contacted by administration officials with similar information.
Disclosure of an undercover agent's identity is a federal offense, punishable by imprisonment.
The CIA fears release of Plame's identity could endanger those with whom she worked and had contact with overseas.
The White House Counsel's office earlier this week ordered White House staff to preserve all information -- including written records, electronic records, calendar entries, telephone call records -- that relate to any contacts with Novak, Newsday reporters Knut Royce and Timothy Phelps or anyone acting on their behalf.
The same held true for anything relating to Wilson's trip to Niger, his wife or her relationship with the CIA.
"You are also directed to complete and return the attached certification by Oct. 7, 2003," the memo said.
The certification and/or documents must be turned hand-delivered to an office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House. In signing the certification, the person acknowledges it is "for purposes of a federal criminal investigation" and that intentional false statements could result in criminal penalties.
The Justice Department has also requested employees at the State Department and Defense Department to preserve any relevant documents, but it was not immediately clear if they had also received notices to turn in any information.
