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Notice to White House staff in CIA leak probe


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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- White House counsel Alberto Gonzales sent a notice Friday to all White House employees after receipt of a letter from the Justice Department seeking documents in the probe into the leak of a CIA operative's name.

The letter told the White House to turn over all records that could be relevant to investigators looking into who may have revealed the operative's identity to journalists.

The following is the text of Gonzales' notice:

On September 30, 2003, you received two memoranda from me directing you to preserve and maintain certain documents. In a letter received yesterday evening, the Department of Justice has requested that we provide those documents to prosecutors and FBI agents assigned to this investigation.

To ensure compliance with the time deadlines imposed by the Department of Justice, you are directed to provide to the Counsel's Office, by no later than 5 p.m. on October 7, 2003, copies of the following documents, created during the time period February 1, 2002, through September 30, 2003, inclusive:

1. All documents that relate in any way to former U.S. Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, his trip to Niger in February 2002, or his wife's purported relationship with the Central Intelligence Agency; and

2. All documents that relate in any way to a contact with any member or representative of the news media about Joseph C. Wilson, his trip to Niger in February 2002, or his wife's purported relationship with the Central Intelligence Agency; and

3. All documents that relate in any way to a contact with any or all of the following: reporters Knut Royce, Timothy M. Phelps, or Robert D. Novak, or any individual(s) acting directly or indirectly on behalf of them.

For purposes of this memorandum, the term "documents" includes "without limitation all electronic records, telephone records of any kind (including but not limited to any documents that memorialize telephone calls having been made), correspondence, computer records, storage devices, notes, memoranda, and diary and calendar entries" in the possession of the Executive Office of the President, its staff, or its employees, wherever located, including any documents that may have been archived in Records Management. However, at this time, you do not need to provide to Counsel's Office copies of the following, provided that they have not been marked upon in any way and are not accompanied by any notes or other commentary: (a) press clips or articles, whether in hard copy or e-mail or electronic form, or (b) either of the two memoranda I sent on September 30, 2003, regarding document preservation.

You are also directed to complete and return the attached Certification by 5 p.m. on October 7, 2003. Note that you must complete the Certification whether or not you have responsive documents. All documents and Certifications should be hand-delivered to EEOB Room 214. Room 214 will be staffed from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. today; from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 4, and Sunday, October 5; from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday, October 6; and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7. Appropriate procedures will be in place to handle classified documents.

If you have any questions, please call Associate Counsels Ted Ullyot or Raul Yanes in the Counsel's Office.

ALBERTO R. GONZALES

COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT

CERTIFICATION

(To be returned by no later than 5 p.m. on October 7, 2003)

I certify, to the best of my knowledge, that

____ I have produced to the Office of the Counsel to the President all documents in my possession that are required to be produced by the memorandum to which this certification was attached.

____ I have no such documents.

I further understand that this Certification is for purposes of a federal criminal investigation and that intentional false statements may result in criminal penalties or other sanctions.

NAME (please print):

SIGNATURE:

DATE:

OFFICE:

PHONE NUMBER:

Note: The attorneys in the Office of the Counsel to the President are attorneys for the President in his official capacity and are not private attorneys for anyone. The attorney-client privilege does not extend to communications by government employees to government attorneys, including attorneys in the Office of the Counsel to the President, when such communications are sought for a Federal criminal investigation.

All documents and Certifications should be hand-delivered to EEOB Room 214.


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