FBI hands over transcript of Cheney on Plame leak

The FBI released documents under court order Friday that show former vice president Dick Cheney’s recollection is fuzzy on his involvement in the exposure of an undercover CIA operative in the months leading up to the beginning of the Iraq war, the Washington Post reported.

The transcript of Cheney’s 2004 interview, which was released after a long-fought legal battle waged by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, shows that he did not recall instructing his then-chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby to publicly identify Valerie Plame, the wife of vocal Iraq war critic Joe Wilson. Libby was later convicted of felony perjury and obstruction of justice.

Both the Bush and Obama administrations sought to keep the interview transcript private, but it was released late Friday with minimal information redacted for national security and the presidential privilege.

“For years the American people have wondered what role Vice President Cheney played in outing former CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson. While we may never know the whole story, with the release of these documents we are one step closer,” said Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director, in a release.