Judge: Cheney Interview in Plame Case Can't Be Sealed

A federal judge has ordered the FBI to release most of the interview it conducted with Dick Cheney over the Valerie Plame case, in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. Both the Bush and Obama administrations have tried to keep the record of the 2004 sit-down sealed, arguing that it would dissuade future presidents and vice presidents from cooperating with law enforcement.

That argument didn’t hold water with the judge—he called it "incurably speculative"—though he did allow White House officials to redact anything they deemed important to national security. That could include any talk of Cheney’s communication with CIA officials, the president, or Plame’s husband. The plaintiff, Washington watchdog group CREW, praised the ruling but complained about the redactions. “The American people deserve to know the truth,” said its executive director. (More Freedom of Information Act stories.)