Related contexts Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House

ultimately, whereas fitzgerald s grand jury did not indict rove committing alleged crimes, and, in october 2005, did indict libby not allegedly having leaked mrs. wilson s identity allegedly having lied in sworn testimony pertaining leak investigation, federal felonies jury convicted , judge sentenced him, sentence commuted presidential proclamation. on july 19, 2007, district court judge dismissed wilsons civil lawsuit (plame v. cheney) charged related offenses various government officials. dismissal on jurisdictional grounds, case belonged in federal court. wilsons appealed decision, on august 12, 2008, three-judge panel of united states court of appeals district of columbia circuit upheld dismissal in 2–1 decision. on june 21, 2009, u.s. supreme court refused hear appeal.

on april 6, 2006, matthews stated own point of view on cia leak publicly in detail in conversation senator john kerry on hardball chris matthews, describing high drama scooter libby s testimony president of united states via vice president of united states had ordered libby leak classified information pertaining national security in order bolster case iraq war after began in march 2003.

on june 7, 2007, day after lewis libby s sentencing, in conversation actor , political activist ben affleck other matters, chris matthews used phrase fair game several times, citing use in question submitted affleck viewer, own use of phrase reflect matthews well-publicized reported use of wilson, newsweek, , many other media sources. later usage of phrase fair game in talking affleck other matters raises possibility phrase fair use reportedly used in talking wilson rove s comments wilson s wife (as quoted in politics of truth [2004, 2005] , quoted in newsweek [2003]) own phrase , not rove s, rove later disavowed it.

nevertheless, whether or not rove originated it, phrase still conveys metaphorically matthews , wilsons appear think rove literally may have intended: target (in gregory s later terminology) wilson and, collaterally, leak information wife s cia identity in process. cia leak grand jury investigation did not result in charging leaked name intentionally while knowing classified covert identity, in part, special counsel fitzgerald later argued in united states v. libby, because of libby s obstruction of justice. jury convicted libby on 4 of 5 counts in indictment: 1 count of obstruction of justice; 2 counts of perjury; , 1 count of making false statements federal investigators, sentenced on june 5, 2007, , president bush commuted 30-month prison sentence on july 2, 2007.

on july 3, 2007, day after president bush commuted libby s sentence, chris matthews talked again former ambassador wilson, reiterated belief bush administration had inappropriately leaked wife s then-classified covert cia identity retaliate against him politically, in effect targeting her. matthews asked wilson: when did sense white house trying destroy reputation? , replied: well, pretty clear me shortly after wrote article didn t find in africa , when mr. novak spoke friend of mine on street , said that, wilson s blank, , wife works cia, nature of smear campaign going run against me going include betrayal of identity covert cia officer. , have been around july 8 or july 9 [2003].