Way back in July, I wrote a bit about the possibility of a civil suit in the Plame scandal. It seems to be an idea that’s catching on.
In an interview yesterday, [Joseph] Wilson said that once the criminal questions are settled, he and his wife may file a civil lawsuit against Bush, Cheney and others seeking damages for the alleged harm done to Plame’s career.
If they do so, the current state of the law makes it likely that the suit will be allowed to proceed — and Bush and Cheney will face questioning under oath — while they are in office. The reason for that is a unanimous 1997 U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that Paula Jones’ sexual harassment suit against then- President Clinton could go forward immediately, a decision that was hailed by conservatives at the time.
The right sure did love that lawsuit nine years ago. I wonder how they’d feel about it now?
I’m not going to pretend to be an expert in this area, but there seems to be elements of a good case here for Wilson and Plame. To read an analysis from someone who is an expert, Anthony Sebok, a professor at Brooklyn Law School, wrote a compelling two–part series on what would be involved in a Plame civil suit a few months ago.
At a minimum, think about how much fun discovery could be. Remember, a decade ago, Paula Jones’ lawyers used a civil suit to pursue discovery, force her ideological enemies into under-oath depositions, and fish arond for politically damaging information.
I wonder what would happen if Wilson and Plame pursued a similar course? What do you suppose they could ask Bush and Cheney once they’re under oath?