Valerie Plame, wife of former ambassador and diplomat Joseph Wilson, was a covert CIA operative when her name was leaked and mentioned in a column by Robert Novak in July 2003. Richard Armitage, the U.S. deputy secretary of state at the time, later admitted he leaked the name to the press. It is believed her name was leaked to discredit her husband, who was investigating reports that Iraq was attempting to purchase uranium.

The investigation into the leaking of Plame led to the conviction of [[I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby]], who was the chief of staff of Vice President Dick Cheney at the time, for obstruction of justice and perjury related to the investigation.

1. Key Figures:
   1. Valerie Plame: Former CIA operative, wife of Joseph Wilson
   2. Joseph Wilson: Former Ambassador and diplomat
   3. Robert Novak: Journalist and pundit, wrote first article naming Plame
   4. I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby: Vice-President Dick Cheney's chief of staff; convicted of obstruction of justice and perjury
   5. Patrick Fitzgerald: Special Prosecutor who led inquiry into incident and prosecution of Libby
   6. Richard Armitage: Initial and primary source of the leak for Robert Novak

1. July 6, 2003: The New York Times publishes Joseph Wilson's op-ed "What I Didn't Find in Africa"
2. July 14, 2003: Robert Novak's column "Mission to Niger" published, revealing Valerie Plame's identity
3. March 6, 2007: I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice
4. July 2, 2007: George W. Bush commutes Libby's sentence, finding it "excessive"

In the incident, sources inside the White House notified journalists that Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, worked for the CIA. Wilson, a former diplomat who had been sent to Africa by the U.S. Department of State to investigate unconfirmed reports that Iraq was attempting to purchase uranium from Niger, had written a New York Times editorial claiming that the President Bush had given false information in his 2003 State of the Union address concerning Iraq's supposed attempt to purchase uranium. Revealing the identity of a CIA agent is a potential violation of the law concerning the unauthorized release of classified information. Vice-President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice for his role in the scandal.