Sources: State Department official source of Plame leak

September 1, 2006

Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage has been revealed as the original source of the information about Valerie Plame that made its way into Robert Novak's column about the Niger affair. According to sources, Armitage discussed it casually and it is not clear whether he had knowledge of her classified status.

Plame and her husband Joseph Wilson have filed a civil lawsuit alleging that the administration intentionally used the leak to retaliate against him for his criticism of the war on Iraq.

According to ABC News, when Armitage realized he was the source of the leak early on in the affair, he informed the FBI of it.