Opinion ID: 2448
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Valerie Plame Wilson Compensation Act and Public Disclosure of the February 10 Letter

Text: As the PRB, Ms. Wilson, and her attorney pursued negotiations about the permissible content of her book, Rep. Inslee prepared to introduce  in the now Democratic-controlled Congress  his previously drafted private bill authorizing Ms. Wilson's early receipt of full retirement benefits. Toward this end, Rep. Inslee sought Ms. Wilson's permission to place in the Congressional Record a copy of the CIA's February 10, 2006 Letter. Ms. Wilson gave her approval in a January 12, 2007 letter, which states: I have no objections to any otherwise permissible inclusion of my personal financial information as contained in [the February 10 Letter]. The letter does not contain any designation that its entire contents or any portion sets forth or references classified information. This letter was sent to me via first class mail. See Letter from V. Wilson to Rep. Inslee at 1 (Jan. 12, 2007). On January 16, 2007, Rep. Inslee introduced the Valerie Plame Wilson Compensation Act, H.R. 501, 110th Cong. (2007). In his floor statement, Rep. Inslee specifically referenced Ms. Wilson's 20 years of federal service. 153 Cong. Rec. E119 (daily ed. Jan. 16, 2007) (statement of Rep. Inslee). He further stated: I am introducing legislation to allow Mrs. Plame Wilson to qualify for her annuity, as one who has served her country for two decades, and waive the age requirement for collecting it. To best demonstrate the annuity for which Mrs. Plame Wilson may qualify if this legislation were to pass, I am submitting for the record a document sent to Mrs. Plame Wilson by the CIA. It outlines her deferred annuity and testifies to 20 years of service. The document bears no indications of classified material as required by CIA procedures, and was sent via regular postal mail after Mrs. Plame Wilson was no longer in the employ of the CIA. Legal experts have assured me that this is not a classified document. [10] Id. Rep. Inslee then placed in the record a modestly redacted version of the CIA's February 10 Letter, which stated, inter alia, [o]ur records show that since January 1, 1987, you have acquired 6 years, 1 month and 29 days of overseas service. Following is a list of your federal service: CIA, CIA (LWOP), CIA (P/T 40), from 11/9/1985 to 1/9/2006  total of 20 years, 7 days. Id. This version of the February 10 Letter was thereafter incorporated into the Congressional Record and is now permanently available to the public, both in print and on the Internet. [11] Three days later, Karen Tumolo  the Agency official who authored the February 10 Letter  wrote to advise Ms. Wilson that the Letter was not properly marked to indicate its national security classification due to an administrative error, and that the information contained therein in fact remains classified. Letter from K. Tumolo to V. Wilson at 1 (Jan. 19, 2007). Ms. Tumolo requested that Ms. Wilson return the Letter, along with any copies, to the Agency. Meanwhile, Christopher J. Walker, the CIA's Director of Congressional Affairs, similarly informed the Clerk of the House of Representatives that the February 10 Letter introduced into the Congressional Record contains classified information that was not properly marked. Letter from Christopher J. Walker, Director of Congressional Affairs, CIA, to Hon. Karen Haas, Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives at 1 (Jan. 23, 2007). Walker did not, however, request return of the Letter or any other congressional action. On January 31, 2007, Ms. Wilson agreed to return a copy of the February 10 Letter to the CIA and requested that the Agency provide her with a redacted copy. The redacted letter so provided on April 24, 2007, discloses only Ms. Wilson's post-2002 service dates.