[JURIST] US President George Bush said Wednesday that he will not comment on top aide Karl Rove's involvement in leaking the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame [Wikipedia profile] until a federal criminal investigation into the controversy is complete. Bush called it a "serious investigation" and said he would "not prejudge the investigation based on media reports." The remarks come after Karl Rove's attorney on Sunday denied that Rove leaked Plame's identity [JURIST report] to TIME reporter Matthew Cooper, although a Newsweek article said Rove had spoken to Cooper and revealed Plame's role without naming her. Bush's comments came shortly after Cooper showed up at US District Court Wednesday where a grand jury investigating the leak was meeting. Cooper, who did not comment while entering the courthouse, is expected to testify [JURIST report]. In September 2003, Bush told reporters [White House transcript] when the leak was initially alleged, "If there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of." Federal law provides in 50 USC s. 421(a) that

Whoever, having or having had authorized access to classified information that identifies a covert agent, intentionally discloses any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent’s intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

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