CIA says McCarthy did admit to telling reporters classified informaion

Fox News interviewed a public affairs officer at the CIA who flatly contradicts Mary McCarthy's statement through her lawyer last night. The link is to a video of Jim Angles interview. When you go to the link click on the video for "Two sides of the story."

The Washington Post has not noted this contradiction as of the time of this post.

Update: This AP story also has the CIA's side of the story.

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Associates, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because of her sensitive legal situation, say the CIA authorized McCarthy on a number of occasions to talk with reporters. However, the details and timing remain unclear, including whether that was ever true after Goss took over in September 2004.

CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Millerwise Dyck declined to comment on McCarthy specifically, citing the agency's obligations under the Privacy Act. However, Dyck said the officer in question was not terminated for having authorized conversations with reporters. "It was for having unauthorized conversations with reporters," she said.

It is not yet clear precisely what McCarthy did that led to the firing. In a statement on Thursday to CIA employees, Goss said that "a CIA officer has acknowledged having unauthorized discussions with the media, in which the officer knowingly and willfully shared classified intelligence, including operational information."

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It is interesting that McCarthy's lawyer would deny something that is probably on the record at the CIA. There is little doubt that the CIA hotly disputes Cobb's assertions on behalf of his client.