Valerie Plame

Valerie Plame, born on August 13, 1963, is an American writer, novelist, and former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer. She gained national attention as the central figure in the 2003 Plame affair, a significant CIA leak scandal that saw her identity as a covert operative exposed by journalist Robert Novak in The Washington Post. This revelation led to a media frenzy that Plame described as "mortifying," leaving her in a state of shock for several years.

The fallout from the scandal implicated several high-profile individuals, including Richard Armitage from the U.S. Department of State, who was identified as one source of the leak. Additionally, Scooter Libby, who served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted for lying to investigators. Despite the gravity of the situation, the individual responsible for the leak was never charged, and Libby's sentence was commuted by President George W. Bush, followed by a pardon from President Donald Trump in two thousand eighteen.

In the wake of the scandal, Plame collaborated with a ghostwriter to pen a memoir that chronicles her career and the events leading to her resignation from the CIA. She has also ventured into fiction, publishing at least two spy novels that reflect her unique experiences in the intelligence community. Her life story was further immortalized in the 2010 biographical film, Fair Game, which was based on her memoirs and those of her husband.

In two thousand twenty, Plame sought to transition from intelligence to politics by running for New Mexico's 3rd congressional district. However, she finished second in the primary election, trailing behind Teresa Leger Fernandez.