A federal appeals court has ruled that the Central Intelligence Agency didn't violate the free speech rights of ex-CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson when it refused to allow her to publish details of her possible pre-2002 work for the agency.She probably wants her (cough cough) privacy.
In an order Thursday, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's ruling that the CIA didn't infringe on Wilson's First Amendment rights when it refused a request by Wilson and her publisher, Simon & Schuster Inc., to publish details of her work with the agency prior to 2002 as part of a memoir.
"Because any information concerning Ms. Wilson's possible pre-2002 agency affiliation remains properly classified, and because Ms. Wilson is obligated by a secrecy agreement with the CIA not to disclose classified information, the district court correctly ruled that plaintiffs cannot demonstrate a First Amendment violation in this case," U.S. Circuit Judge Reena Raggi wrote on behalf of the three-judge panel.
Wilson had argued the CIA "officially disclosed" the dates of her pre-2002 service in a letter sent to her in February 2006 and her pre-2002 dates of service are now a matter of widespread public knowledge and it would be unreasonable to keep them classified.
A lawyer for Wilson didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment Thursday.
Of course we can only hope those 15 minutes are near an end. Except we still have this coming down the pike. I'm sure with Sean Penn in it it will be fair and impartial.
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