- Get those people out of the way! - Go! Go! Go!
The President has been shot!
There were at least three gunshots. There appear to be at least...
Get those people out of the fucking way. Let's go!
I'm all right.
To the van. Let's go! Let's go!
Was anyone else hit?
Go! Go! Go! Go!
- Call my wife. Tell her I'm okay. - He got through security.
Repeat, he got through security.
- Tell her I'm okay. - We will, Mr. President.
- God damn it! - We'll call her.
MSNBC has confirmed that a few minutes ago,
US war planes struck military bases in Venezuela
in retaliation for the assassination attempt on President Lyman three weeks ago.
Our Emily Boyd is on the ground in Caracas.
Emily, what are you hearing now?
Jim, as you can imagine, the situation on the ground in Caracas
can be described as a state of chaos.
Apparently, President Lyman responded to a CIA report
said to have overwhelmingly and conclusively asserted
Venezuela's involvement in the assassination attempt.
President Lopez's government...
Four bottles of milk on the wall Four bottles of milk
You take one down, you pass it around Three bottles of milk on the wall
Oh, my God, this song.
Is this what we got in trouble for in Abu Ghraib?
I don't know why anybody actually signed up to be a room mother.
Yeah.
Hey, Timmy!
- What are you doing? - Sorry, Mom.
Can you just, like, sing along with everybody else?
I don't have a good voice.
Well, me, neither. Come on, sing along.
Come on.
- Mrs. Robinson? - Yeah, what is it, dear?
Nicky Ludlow keeps pulling on my hair, and he won't stop.
Well, just switch seats.
But the bus is full.
You know what, just stay right here. Okay? I'll deal with it.
You're a tattletale!
- I am not! - You just told on Nicky.
That's because he won't stop.
- You're a tattletale. - Timmy, that's enough. Stop it.
- That's enough. - But you're not supposed to tattle.
Well, you're not supposed to have to put up with bullies, either.
Come on.
Capital Sun Times.
It's gonna be the Redskins.
You know what you call 53 people watching the Super Bowl?
- No, sir. - The Washington Redskins.
That's what you call them.
Larry, you should be supporting the home team.
I would support the North Koreans
if they were playing the Washington Redskins.
All right, Judy, give it four hours as top story on the Net, I guess.
- Thank you, B.B. - That's it, boss. I think.
Okay. Thanks, everybody. Let's make it a good one.
Let me ask you a question. How many Olympians do we have in town?
Oh, quite a few.
Rache, stick around a minute, would you?
You know there's that track star, right? From Georgetown?
- Yeah. - Okay, get on him, too, all right?
- Get the door for me, would you, Kelly? - No problem.
Thanks.
Okay, Rache.
We're gonna fast track the story. Your story.
Really? When?
The New York Times has gotten hold of some of the information,
so we're going to beat them to the punch.
Yeah. Want to get it on the doorsteps tomorrow.
I mean, it's a killer story.
No, I know. It's Watergate. It's Iran-Contra.
It mean, it's a "holy shit" piece, Bonnie.
- It's gonna take them down. - Rachel.
- Sorry. Gotta rein it in. I'm kind of excited. - Okay, we gotta remain objective.
Well, fine. We'll objectively bring down the White House.
What else do you need to do to finish the story?
I gotta call the White House. Of course, go to Van Doren herself.
Out of curiosity, why haven't you spoken to her yet?
Avril, I already told you,
if we went to her too early, we give the CIA time to shut the story down.
We go now, there's nothing they can do.
Okay. Look, legally the story is solid.
Everything is factually in line. There's no libel.
Well, that's all that's important, right?
I wish you would let me know who your source is on this.
A title, a job description.
Okay, look, we have two confirming sources.
Rachel told me who they are, and I'm comfortable with them.
We have Van Doren's letter to the CIA director
that the Feds gave to Rachel.
- That's enough to go to press. - It's your flip of the coin.
I'm just saying that what you guys are okay with,
the government may not be. The laws are murky.
I'm sorry, what?
It's illegal for a government official
to reveal the identity of an undercover CIA agent.
Okay. Well, I'm not a government official.
I don't understand why you're bringing... You know what?
We've already discussed this. Bonnie's signed off on it.
As long as we all know what we're dealing with.
All right, we know.
Okay, do you know how to find her? Van Doren?
Yeah. I'll go to her as soon as I get out of here.
Our kids go to school together, if you can believe that.
- No shit? - Yeah.
Okay, you feel comfortable going to her for comment?
Absolutely.
Yeah! That's it! Come on! Pass it in!
- Stay open, Ali! - Angela, pass it to me.
I got it! I got it!
Come on now! Push up! Push up!
Yes, Ali! Good job! Good job!
Kick it, honey! Kick it hard!
Good pass!
Spread out, girls! Spread out!
Get in there! Come on!
- Hey. - Hello.
Oh, no. Defense! Come on, defense! Allison.
- She's doing great out there. - Yeah.
- Every one of them chases the ball. - Well, nobody likes defense.
Come on, Ali! Come on.
- She is in Mr. Cody's class. Right? - Yeah.
- Yeah, my son, too. - I see.
- Come on, Allison. - There you go, there you go, honey!
Could we talk in private?
I'm with the Sun Times, I need a few minutes.
It's kind of important.
Yeah. Sure.
I'm just concerned she might have seen me slip away.
- I won't keep you long. - Okay. So, what's up?
Erica, I'm writing a story. I work for the national desk.
- Okay? - Neat.
And it's gonna run tomorrow, and it's gonna say, among other things,
that you are a CIA operative,
and that you went on a mission, a fact-finding mission to Venezuela.
What? This is...
Hear me out, okay?
You went there on a fact-finding mission
to determine if its government was responsible
for the assassination attempt on President Lyman.
You determined it was not, and you informed your bosses of this.
This is the stupidest B.S. I have ever heard.
Wait, wait. What? Can you...
How do I know that you're from the Sun Times?
The White House ignored your findings and launched an attack anyway,
still claiming retribution for the assassination attempt.
I've been on the national desk for five years.
I have a column every Tuesday on the editorial page.
My son goes to school here, too.
Yeah, I know. You said that.
You people.
You people! My God! You fucking people!
You know, this isn't about me. Once again, it's about my husband.
My source is impeccable.
Your source is 110% fucking peccable.
I'm a CIA operative?
I can't even use the navigation system in my Prius. This is... This is absurd!
Your paper... Your paper has been trying to fuck my husband
ever since he spoke out against this administration.
- We have your memo. - What memo?
- We have your findings. - You know. My attorney is Harry Timmers.
- Do you know him? - Sure.
He's gonna take a lead pipe to you, and he's gonna shove it up your ass.
Well, I certainly don't want that.
What are you doing? What are you doing? Our kids go to school together, Robin.
- Rachel Armstrong. - Right. Whatever.
Are you denying you're CIA?
You know what? You stay away from us. Okay? I mean it.
Just say that the White House doesn't comment on security issues.
Is that what you're saying?
Come on, David. Give me something I can spell.
Off the record, this is bullshit.
You're gonna set off a shit storm for nothing,
for a lousy column inch of space.
- Rachel, it's your son on line five. - You're gonna have egg on your face.
I gotta go, David. I got my son on the other line.
Hey, kiddo.
Hi, Mom. Did you get my paper?
Yeah, I'm just getting it now. Can I read it and call you back?
Okay, but I gotta go to bed soon.
Okay. Well, you can wait up for me to call you.
But Dad said I had to go to bed.
Well, we'll do it in the morning. I promise.
Okay.
It's just, I have a real big story, honey.
It's fine, Mom.
Okay, I love you. Bye-bye.
- Sorry. - Hey, what's that?
My son had to do a paper on India. I was just looking over his outline.
I bet you he could give me 10 inches on India's nuclear buildup with Pakistan.
- Oh, yeah. - How'd you do with David?
"White House doesn't comment on security issues." Blah-blah.
Yeah, well, I know you'll give it more eloquent phrasing than "blah-blah."
- Sure. - Feels good, huh?
It's worth every dime I don't make.
Look, I want you to start on a major profile of Van Doren,
from Yale to CIA, to the marriage to the ambassador 20 years older than her.
He was her professor. He was married. A whole drama, I hear.
Now, that's some good stuff.
Look, by the way, you deserve a good night's sleep.
If I were you, I'd turn the ringers on my phone off.
Hey, Erica.
- Why are we meeting here, Merrill? - For the chili.
No. Why are we meeting out in the open like this?
We're not out in the open, Erica. No one knows who you are.
Now tomorrow, when that goddamn story comes out,
tomorrow you'll be out in the open. Shit!
Your husband had to go and write those articles, didn't he?
Keep him out of this.
You're right, Erica. It's not Oscar's fault.
Oscar hasn't been trained in covert ops. Oscar didn't take an oath of secrecy.
No, it's your fault. You shouldn't have told him anything.
Okay, hey, guys. Here's the SITREP.
The paper will be out in two hours. They haven't put it up on the Net.
They didn't want to give the West Coast papers a chance
to put it in their morning editions. And Justice is scrambling.
They're bringing in a special prosecutor to find out who exposed you.
I can't believe this.
I mean, our kids go to school together,
you know, the reporter's kid and mine.
Wait a second. You know her?
Well, I kind of recognized her today, but we'd never spoken before that moment.
Let me ask you straight out, Erica. Was it you?
- Was it me, what? - Was it you who leaked to the Sun Times?
I mean, it's understandable.
The White House ignored your report, and you got pissed.
You goaded Oscar to write those quote-unquote, opinion pieces.
When that didn't get traction, you went to the press yourself.
I went to the press myself.
Someone you knew. Someone you trusted.
Fuck you.
Fuck me? Touché.
The prosecutor, Patton Dubois, he'll be in tomorrow.
He'll get Armstrong before the grand jury.
Law says Armstrong has to give up her source.
Could it have been Oscar?
No. Could it have been you, O'Hara?
How we all doing? Still doing good?
- Doing good. - You sure?
- Good. - All right.
I'm gonna put you on the box. Oscar, too.
Fine. But I want everybody in the agency who knows my identity,
I want them with polygraph wires up their asses, too,
because there's a traitor among us.
We'll find that person if they're in the CIA.
Nonetheless, we should think about relocating you for your own good.
No. No. I will send Allison away for a little while,
but none of this shit was my fault. I'm not gonna be punished.
This Lois Lane and her newspaper,
I'm not gonna let her turn me into a scared little girl.
I'm staying here.
Whatever.
In the meantime, we'll assign a protective detail to your home.
I feel so much safer. Thank you.
I can't fucking believe this.
Mommy.
- Wanna stay home from school today? - Yeah.
This is very interesting. It's awesome.
- Thank you. - You're welcome. Wow.
I didn't realize they made so much coffee in India.
It also has the most democrats in the world.
Well, not quite. India is the biggest democracy in the world.
- Isn't that the same thing? - No, it's not the same thing.
Jesus Christ.
Don't give your carrots to Brandon today. Okay?
Okay, Mom.
You did it.
This changes everything. You're gonna win a Pulitzer.
I don't know about that.
- Timmy, come on. Eat your breakfast. - I don't like them.
Come on, don't give Mommy a hard time. Finish your eggs.
- Eggs give you cancer. - Eggs don't give you cancer.
All right, you know what? I'll finish your cancer, okay. Okay?
Feels pretty good though. That was a lot of work.
You didn't tell me half the stuff that's in here.
Well, you don't tell me anything that goes into your novels, so it's fair.
A spokesman for the newspaper says
because her husband is a vocal opponent of the administration,
this makes Mrs. Van Doren's employment with the CIA absolutely newsworthy.
- Mom? - In Mexico City...
- What's up, kiddo? - Can we go to the zoo today?
To the zoo? It's a school day.
Maybe we can go tonight?
Well, the animals are sleeping at night.
You don't want to mess with sleeping animals.
They might be a bit cranky.
Okay, come on, sweetie, you're gonna be late.
- You got your stuff? - You want to finish it?
Great, thank you.
Hey. Come on, you're forgetting. Give me a kiss.
I love you. Have a good day.
Hey, Connor.
I'm sorry, you scared the hell out of me.
I'm Special Agent Coddington. I'm with the FBI.
We need you to come with us, please.
What for?
I don't know, ma'am. They just asked me to come here and pick you up.
Hey there, Miss Armstrong. Come on in.
I'm Patton Dubois, federal prosecutor.
Please come on in. Thanks for coming by.
Did I have a choice?
Of course you did.
I don't have anything to say,
so if you have a problem, contact my editors.
Can I get you a cup of coffee?
No, thank you.
Sure, sir, I'm gonna take some.
Great scoop, by the way.
If this doesn't make your career, God knows what will.
Holy moly.
That was something.
Well, I'm gonna be announced in a few days,
just as soon as all the paperwork goes through,
as the special counsel to investigate this leak about Erica Van Doren.
- That was fast. - Yeah, I know, it's kind of unusual,
but the boys over at Justice seem to think this is a pretty urgent matter,
a not-a-second-to-lose kind of thing.
So they called me in last night,
and I just checked into the hotel this morning, and here we are.
The Attorney General's office has to disqualify itself.
Maybe somebody over there was your source, eh?
- I think I should call my lawyer. - That's not necessary.
I'm not gonna be asking you any questions.
Not here, anyway. This is neither the time nor the place.
I just wanted to get kind of an unofficial head start.
Can I talk to you off the record?
Sure.
I mean, a just-between-you-and-me kind of thing.
Off the record is off the record.
Okay, good. I'll do all the yada-yada.
Now, you were within your rights to print the information that you obtained.
However, you're not within your rights
to protect who it was that gave Erica up to you, who exposed her.
It's a 1982 law called the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.
Your source is in a great deal of trouble.
- I've no intention of discussing my source... - Hold on.
I'm doing the yada-yada, remember?
Okay.
Okay, look,
you're gonna be asked to appear before a grand jury.
You're gonna be asked to identify your source.
I'll be doing the asking.
Now, if, for some reason, you don't reveal your source,
you'll be held in contempt, and that means jail time,
and we're not talking about some sort of a Martha Stewart cell
with a butler, nonsense.
Look.
Rachel, go to your source.
Ask him to permit you to reveal his name.
You may be surprised at his willingness to protect you.
People are inherently decent, I have found.
Well, if that were true, that would put you out of a job, no?
Well, that's all I've got to say. You'll be notified of your court date.
I'm afraid I'm gonna disappoint you, Mr. Dubois.
That's not possible.
- You ready? Here she is. - Here she is.
Ready to roll?
Rolling.
Hey, Erica, why do you think your report was ignored?
Is Erica your real name? How long have you been with the agency?
All right, I know you're trying to do your jobs, okay.
I'd love to speak to you. Now is not a good time.
I have an appointment here to read to the kids.
Is Erica your real name?
Did you give your husband top-secret information?
Does your family know that you're here?
You know, I'm a mom.
If this CIA report exists, as the Sun Times claims it does,
that would seem to indicate the President launched
a full-fledged act of war in Venezuela
- without justification... - Thanks.
- Really nice work. - ...and just based on his own gut instinct.
It would also mean that either the President lied to the nation and the Congress...
Hey, Rache, they're waiting for you in Bonnie's office.
...what is arguably the worst foreign policy decision in this nation's history.
So far, the White House is standing by its actions,
but they're not denying the report.
- Rachel. - Yeah, I'm going.
- Kick-ass story, by the way. - Thank you.
...there's a reason to question the findings.
"'Wait for me. Wait for me. I'm a fast runner,' said Ruthie."
"'and I'd sure like to catch something great,'"
"she added, with a fishing pole in hand."
"So off they went. Up a hill, down a path, through a grove of trees,"
"and just as Granny Annie was about to tell Ruthie what she was going to catch..."
If I'd been a little bit more forceful with you and Larry, saying don't rush this to press,
maybe we wouldn't be in this situation.
I told you, the government's gonna take this very seriously. I told...
The next time the FBI hauls you into a fucking interrogation,
- your first goddamn phone call is to me! - I got it. I'm sorry.
Before you even take off your fucking seat belt, you call me!
All right, Avril.
You okay?
Yeah, I was dropping Timmy off at school, and the FBI were there,
and they asked me to go with them and...
Pretty unnerving, huh? Being questioned like that.
- It was really fast. - They want your source, right?
Yeah. I didn't give it to them. I won't give it to them. No way.
Okay, please.
First of all, this is appalling behavior on the part of the FBI.
Snatching you in front of your kid. Strong-arming you.
I want to know the name of the agent that interviewed you.
Well, it wasn't an FBI agent. It was this guy Patton Dubois.
He's being appointed special prosecutor.
What? You know him?
No.
No. But a special prosecutor, that's no good.
See, his only requirement is to find your source,
with nothing else to divert him.
He's gonna have unlimited time, unlimited moolah,
and the chance of unlimited publicity.
There's a lot more investigative power for a special prosecutor than there is for a Fed.
Yeah, well, not enough power to make me reveal my source.
I have a right to protect my source.
- What? - The federal government
doesn't have a shield law. Not on issues of national security.
49 states do have some form of protection for journalists,
- but not the federal government. - The administration will back off
when they see how far we will go to protect Rachel.
The federal government is fighting for a principle, too.
You see, somebody revealed top secret information to you.
That is an act of treason. That is how they see it.
They're gonna take this very, very seriously.
Yeah, well, so am I, gonna take it very seriously.
- Officer, what's the hold-up? - Sorry, ma'am.
Are you kidding? My house is right there.
- She's on the list. - All right, go ahead.
I want a half-hour of reading every day.
- You hear me? - Am I going to get into trouble
- for not going to school? - No.
- I'll miss my friends. - I know you will,
but it's just gonna be for a little while.
You're gonna have a private tutor. He's really great.
You'll love him. I promise. Kisses.
Butterfly kiss, Eskimo kiss.
I love you.
I told you this would happen.
- You just don't get it, do you? - This is your fault.
What do you want to listen to, baby?
Who's your best friend?
- Who? - You!
Bye!
Are we off the record?
Sure. I'll meet you in the back.
You didn't come here to kick my ass, did you? 'Cause it's not fair.
I'm not trained in that whole,
"Knock somebody's nose into their brain with the palm of my hand," thing.
No, I use poison darts.
Funny.
I like your mums. The yellow ones are very cheerful.
Thank you.
Is your husband still writing?
Yeah, all the time. Every day.
I read his novel about the Mossad. I read it while I was on vacation. It was...
It was very entertaining.
Thank you. He's just trying to get out the second one.
So...
I'm sorry I lost my cool with you.
Usually it takes a man to bring out the heinous bitch in me.
Oscar and I...
It's probably it, you know, the dagger and all.
He's gone. He left.
We had it out, and he went to go stay with Allison
'cause we had to send her away, too.
Allison's a great kid.
She seems very grounded.
How do you know her? You been digging in her past, too?
No. No, I'm a room mother.
Room mother? Man. You should get hazard pay for that.
I come in once every two weeks to read to the kids. It's a big production.
- Mom? - I love it.
I'm outside, Timmy!
What can I do for you?
I know you can't tell me who your source is. I respect that. Okay?
I know about keeping secrets.
Just tell me yes or no. All right? Is...
Is it someone close to me?
Is it?
Is it someone I work with?
I can't tell you anything.
You know what?
When you go before the grand jury, you will have to speak.
- You are an unpatriotic little cunt... - Okay.
...who's gonna walk right off the plank into the bowels of hell.
- Do you know that? - I hear that every day.
If you want to go on record, we'll give you amazing placement.
Thank you.
- What? - Hi, Mrs. Van Doren.
Hello, handsome. How are you?
How's Allison doing? She hasn't been in school. Is she sick?
No, no, no. She is great. She's...
She's just spending time with a relative.
- Can you tell her I said hi? - You bet. Yes, I will.
Is it the door?
Yeah?
- Rachel Armstrong? - What do you need?
I'm here to serve you, ma'am.
I just barely had time to type that up and get over here.
- Is it okay? Does it make sense to you? - Yeah.
I thought the law was supposed to move slowly?
Except for when it doesn't.
Hey, this is all bullshit, barging in on you in the middle of the night,
dragging you into the Mayflower, it's all just meant to intimidate you.
It's working.
- Well, don't let it intimidate you. Okay? - Okay.
You're gonna be fine.
Miss Armstrong.
Okay, I'll be down in the lobby.
- Okay. - Don't worry.
Rachel Alice Armstrong. 15 Trinity Pass, Washington, D.C.
Thanks. Okay, Miss Armstrong.
You work as a reporter for the Capital Sun Times, is that correct?
Yes.
As the national political correspondent, is that right?
- I am, yes. One of them. - Okay, good.
Okay, great. I'm batting a thousand.
You wrote an article a few days ago, here,
in which you revealed Erica Van Doren,
married to the former US ambassador, Oscar Van Doren,
that she was a covert CIA operative.
I did, yes.
And you feel confident with this story's veracity?
I do, 100%.
Who was your source?
- Miss Armstrong... - One second. I'm sorry.
"I respectfully refuse to answer that question
"on the grounds that it would violate my rights
"under the First Amendment and federal common law."
You're aware that anybody with official knowledge
of the identity of a CIA operative
is forbidden by law to release that information?
I am, yes.
So, who was your source?
I can't reveal my source...
Okay, look, Miss Armstrong.
This is a very serious matter.
I want you to take your time.
We're gonna take a recess and come back at, say, 1:30.
I want you to go home. I want you to talk to your family.
I want you to talk to your editor. Okay?
And then I want you to talk to your source.
Mull it over and see if you all think this is worth a contempt citation,
and then we're gonna reconvene,
and then I'm going to ask you again.
I wouldn't hold your breath.
Well, I'm not the one that'll need to hold my breath.
Okay, everybody,
we're gonna break it up. We'll come back at 1:30.
- How long have you been in the CIA? - Ms. Van Doren...
"'Can I come too?' asked Charlie.
"'I promise to help you catch whatever it is,' he said.
"'Come on,' said Ruthie Joe and Granny Annie.
"So off they went across the bridge..."
My watch says I'm early.
We just feel like this is not the best time for you to be with the kids.
It's just that,
you know, we're really not equipped to deal with a lot of craziness.
Okay.
I think it's idiotic, is what it is. I understand, the press can be a nightmare.
Maybe if you were to stay away for a while, then they would go away.
I hope we can work this out, Jerry. I really look forward to reading to the kids.
I mean, I'm pretty good at it, too. I do all the little voices.
You are. So...
When were you planning on bringing Ali back to school?
I don't know. I'm not sure.
I see. Okay.
Are you saying that she can't come back, Jerry?
- How was your lunch? - Terrific. Thank you.
- Yeah, what'd you have? - I actually didn't have anything.
Really?
I wish I had your will power.
Your source, Miss Armstrong, who is it?
Hey.
Well? How did it go?
- Okay, I guess. - Excuse me. Rachel Armstrong?
- Yes. - I'm Deputy U.S. Marshal Jones.
I have a summons for you to appear in US District Court in two hours.
- No, no, no. - What happened to two weeks?
Hey!
I'm Avril Aaronson,
- counsel to the Capital Sun Times. - Oh, yeah,
I read your amicus brief on the Celeste matter last year.
I think you could take credit for her release. I really do.
I understand all the theatrics up until now, but this?
This is too fast. This is outrageous,
and we're getting into some pretty serious Fifth Amendment issues here.
Look, Avril, there's a traitor out there revealing the names of CIA operatives.
Now, I think we should get somebody like that out tout de suite. Don't you?
We're bringing in Albert Burnside.
I'll have to go home and get my autograph book, then.
Don't worry about it. It's not a problem. It's already in the Sun Times budget.
Hi, Avril.
Hey, there he is. Albert, thanks for coming. This is Rachel Armstrong.
- Glad to meet you. - Hi, me, too.
Hey, I'm Ray, Rachel's husband. Why is this happening so fast?
Avril said it'd be weeks until I went before a judge.
Well, Mr. Dubois wants to get this done before the press catches up.
It's okay. The press can just complicate things.
Let's concentrate on keeping you out of jail.
Jail? What do you... When?
You're gonna ask for a continuance?
Yeah. Sure. Sure.
Look, I've been through this. Judge Hall is a good egg.
We exchange Christmas cards.
He's certainly not gonna jail you today.
- Jesus Christ. - Ray, relax.
I mean, if Albert's this calm, then we can be, too. Right?
We'll be out of here in five minutes.
Then we'll get a cup of Joe and we'll strategize how we can protect you
and the constitution and democracy itself for generations to come.
That's a Theory, right?
- Yeah. - It's classy.
Thanks. Nice suit.
It's not a suit. It's a Zegna. Hand stitched, 15 mil mil 15.
What's that you're wearing?
I don't know.
I'm putting you in touch with my tailor.
You always know when you're in a Zegna.
Court room three.
Your Honor, this morning, Miss Armstrong appeared before the grand jury.
I furnished you with the transcripts.
And as you know, she was asked to reveal the name of the source who provided her,
quite possibly illegally, with secret information revealing the...
Excuse me, Your Honor. If I may?
Yes.
- All right? - It's perfectly okay with me.
Your Honor, I just met my client.
I ask you to continue this matter for, say, a week, so we can get our bearings here.
Let me get my bearings first. Why don't we proceed for now?
Well, here's how it is, Your Honor.
Mr. Dubois will say that my client was asked to name her source
and that she won't do so, and, thus, you should compel her.
He'll say that the information that my client received is highly classified
and the GJ is entitled to know the name of the source and to find it out.
He'll also say that there's no federal shield law protecting her
and that there's no First Amendment protection, either,
because this is a matter of, quote-unquote, national security.
Is that about right, Mr. Dubois?
In fact, that's it in a nutshell.
We contend that the First Amendment does protect Rachel Armstrong.
I'm well aware of cases in this circuit in which this contention is...
Well, I am aware of those cases in this circuit,
and they do not authorize her to refuse to respond to these questions.
Why don't the three of you come up here right now?
Rachel, Rachel, come on. Come on up.
Over here to where the bench is.
Miss Armstrong, I want you to understand
that if I should order you to reveal your source,
that if you don't do so, I'm gonna hold you in contempt of court
and that you will be jailed until you...
Hold on, Your Honor.
Can you rule, please, on my request for a continuance?
Right. I'm gonna deny that motion.
I'm only asking for a few days, Judge.
I understand. There is a serious national security...
There's no reason not to grant a continuance.
Let me run my courtroom.
Now, Miss Armstrong, I direct you to reveal the identity of your source.
If you want a few days to consider it, I'll give it to you.
I can't do that.
Mr. Burnside, if you want a few days to advise her to obey my order.
I can't advise my client to betray a confidence.
Okay, look, Your Honor,
given the direct threat to our national security,
I ask that Miss Armstrong now be held in contempt of court
and that she be jailed immediately.
Well, it seems to me that I have before me somebody who is defying my order
and who seems to believe that she is above the law itself.
I hold you in contempt of court,
and I remand you to the custody of the United States Marshal.
- Help. - Judge...
Wait. No, no. Your Honor. Judge. Wait... No, wait.
- Ma'am. - Your Honor!
As soon as you're prepared to speak, you will be released.
Could I have a minute with my client to confer?
You may consult with her in the detention center.
Timmy needs to be picked up from the Hobermans' at 5:30.
- This proceeding is closed. - Judge.
Judge. Your Honor!
A lot of people looking to get famous here.
- So now what? What do we do now? - I'll call you tomorrow. Don't worry about it.
- What are you gonna do now? - I'm gonna call you in the morning.
All right? Okay?
Well, at least you'll take him off your Christmas card list. Right?
That's right.
- It's a scare tactic. - You think?
I'll deal with it. I'll see you back at the paper.
Okay, I'll head over there.
Mr. Burnside, this is a real honor for me.
I studied you, growing up. My dad was also a lawyer.
This is a big, big mistake, Patton.
Well, there's nothing like learning from our mistakes.
Yeah, well, sometimes a mistake is like wearing white after Labor Day,
and sometimes, a mistake is invading Russia in winter.
Okay, there are two things I need to know.
- First, the story itself. - Rock solid.
Rock solid. Well, are we talking talc or are we talking granite?
Albert, please. We wouldn't have put it through
- if it wasn't... - Okay. Second,
how many people know the...
How many people at the paper know the names of the sources?
We know the corroborating source. Well, Bonnie does, anyway,
and one of Rachel's sources at the FBI gave us a copy of Van Doren's report.
And why don't you have the name of the original source?
Well, for one thing, Rachel agreed to complete confidentiality,
and because her story was confirmed, it wasn't necessary to know.
Well, the good news is, you can't be compelled to testify
on something you don't know.
Bosca wallet.
Prada sunglasses.
- You can keep that. - Thank you.
Tape recorder...
I'm gonna need to get your jewelry.
The wedding ring.
I'd like to hold on to those.
It's diamond, baby doll. You don't want that in there.
Miss Armstrong, come up front, please.
Take a stand in front of the machine, please.
Would you give me your right palm, please?
Take it off. Left, please.
It feels like his only real target is Rachel Armstrong
for publishing the article, which is not a crime. In fact...
Okay, if we've got Armstrong in jail, that's our biggest ace in the hole.
Two. The Van Dorens and everyone at the CIA
who worked with her have agreed to submit to polygraphs.
Jeez, could we turn this guy off? I can't listen to this anymore.
Better.
You know, that's the only thing that Armstrong's got going for her
is the media, getting them to turn her into some sort of a cause celeb.
We can't allow that to affect us.
Well, under the Branzburg case, they've got no chance on appeal.
Even if they point out that you didn't exhaust
any other possible sources before going to her.
Yeah. No, the Miller case made that perfectly clear.
- Sit still for the camera. - But our objective,
our goal, is not to... Is not to keep her locked up.
I want to let her go.
That means we have got our source and we can prosecute him,
and, frankly, that's all I care about.
Sit as still as you can, looking straight ahead.
Answer with the word "yes" or the word "no."
Is your name Erica Van Doren?
Yes.
- Were you born in Ossining, New York? - Yes.
Have you ever lied on any official document?
No.
Did you reveal to Ms. Armstrong you were an employee of the CIA?
You gotta know a few rules.
First, ain't no smoking anywhere in the building.
Cigarettes are contraband.
No drugs, no fighting. Fighting just buys you time in deseg.
- What's that? - Desegregation.
In the movies, they call it the hole.
I'm taking you to the spillover room. We house the more violent girls in cells.
What are you, a doorman? Get out of here.
- Come on. Let me out. - Get out of here. Get out.
And ain't no fucking.
No kind of sex at all. No eating pussy, no kissing, nothing.
If you're here for more than eight months, you can apply for a kite or a conjugal.
Here you go.
But the turnover here is normally two weeks. You won't even be here in eight months.
Hey!
- What's your name? - Olivia.
- Olivia what? - Olivia James.
- Well, Olivia James, this is Rachel... - Armstrong.
Rachel Armstrong, your new bunkie. Be nice.
And show her how to make the bed.
There you go.
Lights out in an hour. Lights up at 6:00 in the morning. All right?
Okay. Excuse me.
Is there any way of seeing a newspaper in the morning?
No. But if you wanna watch the news, you have to convince all of them to do it.
- On his birthday, who was driving... - He ain't no fool.
- I don't care. - Ain't no tomming in the yard, you know.
That's just sad.
Are you one of those trained prevaricators, Erica?
You know, they teach you that at Langley? Box beater.
Kicked ass, didn't I?
Who do you think spoke to her? To Armstrong?
God damn it. I don't know!
But when you figure it out,
just give me five minutes with the prick, okay?
Well, it's been my experience that Miss Armstrong will tell us.
Right. She's never had her Vassar ass in jail. She'll break.
I don't know. I met her. I looked her in the eye.
She's a water-walker.
I wish we had the cookies, though.
Those were pretty good.
- Hey. Hey. - Hey.
Guess who's here?
Little man wanted to say hey, make sure you're okay.
All right. Here he is.
Say hi.
- Hey, baby. Hi. - Hi.
Hey. Why don't you tell Mommy what we brought her?
- Mom. - Yeah.
We brought you some cookies, but they took them away.
No way.
Well, maybe they'll let me have them later for dessert.
- Dad made them. - Dad made them? Yucky.
Hey,
I'm gonna be okay, sweetie.
Hey, how was your spelling test?
It was okay, I guess.
I bet you aced it.
Practiced really hard, didn't you? Didn't you?
- Yeah. - You sure did.
Hand the phone to your dad, okay?
- Hey. - Hey.
Hey. How are you?
- I'm fine. - Yeah?
Yeah, I'm fine. Don't bring him anymore, Ray.
- This is not a good place for him. - What are you talking about?
He's freaking out.
He wanted to see you. What do you mean? He wanted to make sure you were okay.
Well, of course he wanted to see me. But...
- I mean, I'm really serious about this, Ray. - Okay.
I'm not gonna be here forever.
- It's a couple of days. It's a few days. - Okay. Okay.
So what is going on in the news?
- I haven't heard a thing. - You haven't?
No, there's no newspapers in here.
The TV is perpetually tuned into Jerry Springer.
Well, your jailing, your stance,
it's in every newspaper, on every channel.
No, no, no. I mean with the President. What have they said about the article?
No, same thing. Same as always.
"The White House refuses to comment on intelligence matters. "
What else are they going to say? Right?
I mean, the President, he's not making any press conferences, that's for sure.
Hey, listen, I was thinking...
I mean, if this gets crazy, crazier,
maybe you should tell me who it is.
And that way, I can maybe talk to the guy.
I don't know, like on a human level, you know?
- Ray. - What?
I've never asked you, not once.
But this is... This is getting crazy.
Okay, let's not go there. At all.
- You don't trust me? - That's not the point.
You don't trust me?
- Is it... What is... - I guess that's it. It's over.
Okay. I miss you.
I miss you, too. Can you pass the phone back to...
- Hey, can you hear me? - Yeah.
Okay. I need you to make your bed in the morning. All right?
I need at least one responsible male in the house.
- Okay? Don't tell Daddy I said that, okay? - I'll...
She can't hear you, buddy. Okay? She'll come home soon. Come on.
All rise. Hear ye, hear ye.
- Armstrong. Let's go. - All persons having business
with the United States District Court in the District of Columbia will draw near.
Give your attention and you shall be heard.
Mr. Burnside, your client is here now, so you may proceed when you're ready.
Thank you, sir.
Your Honor, I would ask that you would release Ms. Armstrong
until such time as the U.S. Court of Appeals can rule
on the validity of this contempt citation.
Now that would vitiate the whole purpose
of her incarceration in the first place.
She has the key to her own cell.
A key that comes in the form of a loss of integrity is no key at all.
Integrity is subjective.
Miss Armstrong, I'm sympathetic, but you've gotta help me out.
Will you represent to me that if you're home
that you'll pick up the phone and call or contact your source
and try to get permission for you to release the source's name
so we can put an end to all of this?
I would be dishonest if I said I could do that.
Well, then, you're really not giving me any basis at all.
The motion is denied.
Sir, I would ask that the court now
impose a fine of $10,000 a day against the Sun Times
until such time as Miss Armstrong's source be revealed.
Your Honor,
with all due respect to you, this court and Miss Armstrong,
we don't know who her source is.
I don't see how we could be held accountable.
Sir, obviously, with the representation on display here,
obviously, the paper not only supports,
but is encouraging Miss Armstrong's position.
They're enabling her.
The Sun Times should be obliged to obey Your Honor,
and dismiss Miss Armstrong if she does not.
That is out of line!
Your Honor, respectfully, I ask you to deny this motion.
Don't even think of buckling. Don't even think it.
You pay the fine,
and you let Rachel hold strong, exactly the way she's been doing.
You didn't need to say that.
Such a beautiful day.
- I like coming here. - Yeah.
- It reminds me why we do what we do. - I agree.
You know, my daddy is buried right over there.
I feel it best that we not meet at Langley
- for the time being. - Yeah. Okay.
Yeah. You know, I'm just glad that you asked to see me.
I've been wanting to speak to you since this all broke.
You know, I was hoping I'd convince you
to give me a crack at the CBD in the Balkans.
- There's other business to attend to first. - Okay.
Erica, we've investigated to the fullest degree
all of those people who were aware of your cover.
We've looked at phone records, emails, the works.
- We're dead ending here. - Really?
So far, the reporter is in jail and not talking.
It's essential we find out where this leak came from.
I know. I understand. You know, and I couldn't agree with you more.
You know, we don't know if this person had it in for you or had it in for the agency,
so can I just pick your brain a little bit?
Yeah, of course. Please. I completely understand.
- Ask me whatever you want. - When did you first meet Rachel Armstrong?
Knowingly? When she came to me at the soccer game,
when she confronted me.
And you're both volunteers at Potomac Shores Elementary School, right?
I am. Well, no, I'm not. I was, but I'm not now,
but she was a room mother there, she said.
You never met at school functions before that?
- No. - Your volunteer work never overlapped?
You guys never perhaps talked mom to mom?
No. No.
Ever go to a school event where alcohol was being served?
What? What?
You know, when my wife went to those functions,
those let-your-hair-down things,
my God, I can't tell you the things she said that she now wishes she could take back.
Sir, wait.
Are you still investigating me?
- Well... - I just passed a polygraph.
Well, given your training, I'm not sure how valuable that is.
It is a clinical investigation. You don't need to take it personally.
I don't need to take it personally?
"We think that you're either incompetent, a drunk, or a liar,
"but you don't need to take it personally."
How dare you?
- How fucking dare you? - Okay,
- you need to watch your tone here, Erica. - Let me ask you a question, sir.
What, in my absolutely unblemished record, can you point to and say,
"Yeah, yeah, that's somebody we can't trust"?
- What? - Point is, I don't even know you.
You've been a NOC for so many years,
there are very few people who actually know you.
Okay, well, you know what? I know you. I know you, sir.
I know your type. I see where this is going. I smell it.
You know, if somebody in the CIA messed up,
somebody messed up, gave me up
and now you guys are walking around investigating it like the Keystone Kops.
You're just aching for it to be me. I see it.
This way you can tell the press, "You know what? It's not a rogue agent.
"It is just some silly little girl whose feelings got hurt
"that her investigative conclusions were ignored
"by the President of the United States."
Findings that absolved Venezuela
from having anything at all to do with the assassination attempt on him.
- Now you're being dramatic, Erica. - Fine, okay.
You know what? You can speak to my attorney from now on.
You can drop my protective detail.
You can stop cutting me checks. Okay? I quit.
You don't just quit, Erica.
Really? What is this, The Sopranos? I can't leave the family? I'm stuck?
Well, it's a process. You're full of privileged information.
You don't trust me? Fine, okay.
I'm gonna give you reason not to. Okay?
My husband's not the only one in the family who can write.
Look, you sure you want to get in a war with the government, Erica?
Do you need the messiness?
You're in the middle of a custody battle, right?
You sure you want to drag Allison into the middle of all this?
You are so lucky you are a woman.
Why is that?
Because I don't hit girls.
You know, you weren't the only agent investigating the Venezuelans,
but you were the only one that concluded
that they were not involved in the attack on the President.
Yours is not the only report the President read.
I wish you the very best of luck with your daughter and the custody battle.
I hope you get to see her again.
Thank you.
Yeah, watch this.
If there was enough money in the world, I'd be buying my way out of this.
Honey, if there was enough money in the world, I wouldn't be in here
- in the first place. - You got that right.
What's that?
A Christmas present from my son.
- How old is he? - Seven.
Shit, ain't nobody in the whole world seven years old no more.
I'm moving in.
That fat piece of shit over there keeps farting all night.
About to turn my carjacking beef into a homicide if I stay over there.
Well, welcome to the neighborhood.
Congratulations, everyone. We have three Pulitzer finalists in our midst.
For investigative reporting.
Yo, Armstrong.
A message for you from somebody named Bunny.
I just took it for you. We couldn't find you upstairs.
So you won something, huh?
I ain't never won nothing.
- Thanks. - Sure.
How was school today?
- Okay, I guess. - Yeah?
- What was the best part? - I don't know.
Hey, I won an award. Though I almost did.
A big one, for being a good reporter.
- That's nice. - And the first person I wanted to tell
was you 'cause you're my most special guy.
- You want to put your dad back on? - Okay.
Okay.
Hey, he really misses you.
- Really? - So, the Pulitzer?
Yeah. You told me, remember?
That's not that...
Everyone to your bunk! Shake down!
Lock your hands behind your head.
Come on, Armstrong, let's get to your bunk.
Lock your hands behind your head. Shake down!
- Let's go! - Let's go, ladies!
I can find your head by your bunks.
- Move! - Let's go, ladies! Let's go!
Get to your racks now!
What is you doing, Miss Jones? Get to your bunk, now!
You know this is not allowed in here. It's contraband.
Sorry.
You been taking these from the IK for weeks.
More contraband.
Hey, that's personal stuff.
Can I have that back? What the fuck is this? You can't take that!
- What did you say? - She can't take that. It's mine!
Get back to your bunk!
You hold that noise, ma'am, or I will take you to the hole!
You understand me?
Lock your hands behind your head.
Deseg for you.
Fuck.
Well, it's amazing news about the Pulitzer. Congratulations.
Yeah. No, that's great. I just...
I'm not surprised Tom Williams got it. His story got the mayor to resign.
The President is so popular, nobody gave a damn about what I wrote.
Well, we're all proud of you.
No, I know. Thanks.
I'm sorry.
They took my journal, my notes, for taking an apple out of the chow house.
I can't write, and it's driving me nuts.
They took my pen. I can't even write to Timmy anymore.
I was wondering if you could possibly
write an editorial or something, shame them a bit.
Yeah, of course. Tomorrow, tomorrow's paper.
Thank you.
So, look,
Molly Meyers wants to interview you.
What? Why? I'm not anorexic.
I'm not in rehab. I'm not dating Justin Timberlake.
Human interest, I guess.
Look, she's a journalist. She has to be on your side, right?
The top dogs are really pushing for it.
It's like you said, no one's writing about your case anymore.
We're losing traction.
The government isn't feeling the public pressure.
And the fines and the legal fees are growing.
- I get it. Say hi to Avril... - Don't think about that. No. No, no.
We just need to get you out in front again, and, for what it's worth,
Molly Meyers will get the eyeballs on you.
So?
Okay. But it's gotta be live.
She's not gonna edit me into a doddering idiot.
- Absolutely. - And I'm not fucking crying, either.
All right.
What are you wearing? What is this, the new Cartier?
It's a wonderful watch.
No, it's not a watch. It's jewelry. Here, look at here.
I'm suddenly nuts about this de Grisogono. I love the numerals.
- All different sizes. Isn't that nice? - It's a beauty.
- Ready, Molly. - All right, have fun.
Okay. They're telling me it's gonna be substantive.
It's gonna be serious.
- Really? - Well, that's what they're telling me.
This will be your moment, not hers. You'll be great.
Here you go.
- Rachel, hi. I'm Molly Meyers. - Right, we met once.
I interviewed with you to be your research assistant.
Oh, no kidding.
We are not going to have time for this.
If you have time for the Identities Act. Great. If not, so be it.
- That's fine. - One minute.
All right. Thank you so much for doing this, Rachel.
- And congratulations on the Pulitzer. - It was just a finalist.
- Well, bravo. We're all with you. - Thank you, that's very nice.
Of course, I can't say it on the air. Objectivity and all that.
All right, ready?
- You know we're live? - Todd is gonna toss it to you in three, two...
Thank you, Todd.
Rachel Armstrong, thank you for joining us.
Rachel, you have been here for seven months.
How are you feeling?
Well, physically I feel fine.
I don't get the exercise that I need, but I feel fine.
You know, I look at you and I get this sort of, "How do you do it?" sensation.
Vassar girl, Columbia Journalism, suburban soccer mom...
How Twilight Zone-ish is this for you?
I must say, when I wake up in the morning,
it does take me a few seconds to realize where I am.
I mean, I haven't grown accustomed to it.
You're married to the novelist, Ray Armstrong.
How is the marriage holding up?
- Well, obviously, it puts pressure... - It must be very hard.
It is hard. But we're strong.
You know, he's very supportive of me, and we're best friends. That really helps.
And what about your son? Timothy.
When was the last time you saw him?
It's been a long time.
How long?
He came to see me when I was first brought here,
but I have asked that he not visit me in this place.
Well, that must be brutal.
Most mothers, though, are going to have a hard time understanding.
I guess I would have, too,
but most mothers would have no idea what they would do
unless they were in my position.
The truth is, bringing Timmy here would be selfish.
You know, it would be for me.
And I do wonder a lot if I can survive another day not seeing him,
but I know Timmy,
and I saw the look in his eyes when he was brought here,
and I know the damage that it would do
to see his mother in this place, caged up.
So, you know, I can't do that to him.
Rachel, let's get to the meat of it, because I have to try.
On your story, on uncovering the identity of the CIA agent Erica Van Doren,
who was your source?
Well, Molly, let me ask you. Why do you have to try?
Try to get a fellow journalist to betray her integrity?
I know you know better than that. I know you do.
Before the cameras rolled, you said you were, quote-unquote, with me.
Look, I have empathy. Like you, I would never give up a source.
But you know what? Sometimes sources have motives.
Right, okay.
If the information they're giving is valuable and truthful,
like with Watergate or the Pentagon Papers, then their motives really don't matter.
Any real journalist would be prepared to put up with the discomfort of jail
to protect their principle.
I know you say you would protect your source,
as if you're saying, "There but for the grace of God go I,"
and you're never gonna have to worry about
- the government coming after you. - Why?
Because the government really doesn't care
how you found out where Paris had dinner last night.
That's my bunkie right there, y'all. That's my bunkie!
Ray.
Hey. Hey, Albert. Hey.
Hi, I'm Albert Burnside.
- Hi, I'm Gretchen Monroy. - Hi.
- So, did you see the Molly Meyers thing? - Yes. Yes.
- Rachel was real terrific. It was great. - Yeah, she was unbelievable.
- I'll catch up with you. - Sure.
Nice to meet you.
- Look, Albert. - It's none of my business.
No, no, no. No, you don't.
There are things about us that you just don't...
- When you say "us"? - Rachel and me.
Look, Ray, if you can sleep at night, you can sleep at night.
She made a choice.
- Choices have consequences. - Yeah, if you think your wife
felt like she had a choice in this, then maybe you two shouldn't be together.
Well, you can tell her or not. That's entirely up to you.
Keep up the good work.
Excuse me, ma'am. Excuse me. Didn't mean to startle you.
- That's okay. - I'm looking for the Stein residence.
Stein residence?
You know, I don't know. I don't think there is a Stein on the block.
Harv and Sheila?
Harv and Sheila...
Oh, God.
Rachel?
Who do you have working the story?
Evans and Merkow.
The shooter belonged to a right wing fringe group.
I guess he thought Erica had it in for our beloved President.
Name's Alan Murphy. He's nuts and stupid.
Drove his own car to the murder site, then crashed it half a mile away.
Once she resigned from the CIA, she lost her protective detail.
God, this is so crazy.
Evans and Merkow will want to get a statement from you of some kind.
I know. I get it. It's okay.
It's okay.
- How's Allison doing? - Who is Allison?
Erica's daughter.
- Bonnie... - It is not your fault.
Am I doing the right thing?
What's the problem? We still have 15 minutes.
Judge wants to see her. I've got a van waiting.
The President now seems to feel compelled to get involved personally.
He wants to get to the bottom of this debacle.
What happened is terrible, and my heart goes out to her little girl,
- but it hasn't changed my position. - Okay, that's not what I need.
I have here copies of waivers
that have been signed by all White House staff and senior CIA.
It authorizes you, gives you permission
to reveal their names if they were your source.
It's a blanket waiver.
That should do it for you.
Have a look. See if your source has signed.
- These people were obviously coerced. - These people here?
These people have signed of their own volition.
Yeah, if you don't sign these, then we'll harass you,
we'll investigate you, we'll make your life hell on earth.
I'm not even going to look at them, Judge.
- Anybody want some tea? - Yes, please.
- No, thank you. - It's from Greece.
What are we going to do with you?
This has gotten to the point now where my wife is pissed off at me
and is telling me that I'm some sort of bully.
Well, you're not gonna get much sympathy from me there.
Your Honor, can I borrow your library for a second?
You think I should look at the waivers.
A man can live a good life, be honorable, give to charity,
but in the end, the number of people who come to his funeral
is generally dependent on the weather.
What? I'm sorry. I'm not following.
The weather has changed, Rachel. I'm sorry, but it has. That's the truth.
In the old days, this would have been a lot easier to fight.
The public would have called you a hero.
But I don't know, somewhere along the line, the press...
The press stopped being the white knight, and started being the dragon.
That's the way people see it.
You want to know why no paper in this country, including your own,
has continued covering your story?
Why don't you tell me?
Because your 48-hour news cycle dried up months ago.
I mean, look at you, Rachel. You look like shit.
- Your kid is growing up without you... - Don't bring Timmy into this.
- It's not fair. Okay. I'm a good mother. - Fair? Fuck fair!
Look, you may not want to bring your son into this,
- but I do. You want to know why? - Why?
Because I'm defending Rachel Armstrong, not a principle.
A man leaves his family to go to jail to protect a principle,
and they name a holiday after him.
A man leaves his children to go fight in a war,
and they erect a monument to him.
A woman does the same thing, and she's the monster.
If we back down, what are we saying, Albert?
"Trust reporters as long as they're not mothers, because they'll crack."
The truth is, if I had known that writing this fucking story
would have separated me from Timmy, then maybe I wouldn't have done it.
But here we are. The story's been published,
and the path has been chosen, and there's no way back,
and in the end, my son will be fine.
You know, Ray is a great father, and Timmy's gonna be okay,
but that will not be the case with my source.
My source will be publicly saddled with the death of Erica Van Doren,
and that, I promise you,
will mean the destruction of the person we're talking about,
and that, Albert, that is not fair.
Why?
I mean, your source knew full well the ramifications of speaking to you.
My source didn't know what they were doing
when I got the information.
- Was he drunk? Was he talking in his sleep? - Hey, take a fucking walk.
We're trying to swim a fucking waterfall here, Albert.
We have a responsibility to the shareholders not to go bankrupt.
If you're so worried about that, then I'll go pro bono from here on in.
- How about that? - Sold.
Come in.
Okay. I just got off the phone.
Stan Riggens has agreed to speak to the grand jury.
I guess signing that waiver spooked him.
Stan?
- I owe that kid in my office 10 bucks. - When is all this supposed to happen?
As soon as possible. It'll have to wait until tomorrow morning.
Once he confirms he was your source, you're off the hook.
Pack your bags, Rachel.
You were chief of staff to the Vice President.
I resigned 11 months ago.
And were you the source of information provided
on the October 6th edition of the Capital Sun Times
in which the identity of the covert CIA agent was revealed?
I was.
Can you tell us all how that came about?
Well, I guess I was just so angry at Erica Van Doren and her husband,
- my emotions got the better of me. - I'm not interested in your motivations.
I want to know how you came to reveal this information.
I was at a party.
...you guys, it's muddy right here.
I had been drinking.
Stan.
Hello there, young-ish lady. How are you?
Can I get a beer, please? Good. Great. Just here with my son.
They're cute now, but they grow up. You know?
So I've been reading.
So I heard Glen invited you. It's good to see you.
Yeah, and you thought, "Well, how can I pass up this opportunity?"
That is exactly what I thought.
- Can I ask you a question? - Anything.
Ambassador Van Doren.
- What about him? - His wife.
Is she a spook, Stan?
Come here.
- Now, look, you did not hear this from me. - Of course not.
- Not from me. - Absolutely not.
But, everybody knows she's at the CIA. Everybody.
But you can't use that.
Hey, I won't say it came from you, but we're not off the record.
Screw it.
Everybody knows anyway. Common knowledge.
Do you know if she happened to get out to Venezuela at all?
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
She came to you and asked you if Ms. Van Doren was a spy?
She already knew.
That's right.
They're not satisfied with Riggens.
He was just your corroborative source.
So was the FBI guy who gave you her report.
They still want the original source, which puts us back at square one.
Well, how much longer can this go on?
It's seven months or so before the grand jury is required to disband,
and then Dubois can just order up a new one.
I can't...
I'm gonna have to tell the Warden I did this.
Look,
if you're gonna be here another seven months,
then you should know, in every way
how this will affect you.
Albert told me.
Well, do I get any details?
Details? Yeah.
The details are you're in here,
and whatever it is keeping you in here
is more important to you than what's on the outside.
- Well, how long have you been seeing her? - Just a few weeks.
- Do you love her? - I don't know.
You don't know?
It's only been a few weeks. You don't know her.
- What do you do with Timmy? - What?
When you're fucking her, what do you do with Timmy?
He's with a sitter when we go out.
- Has he met her? - No.
- Do I know her? - You don't know her. I told you that.
- She lives in Maryland... - Okay. You know what,
- I don't want to hear any more. - Look...
Ray, I know this is impossible for all of us.
I get it. You're lonely. I'm lonely.
Look, all you have to do to keep me,
to keep my respect, is just tell me it means nothing.
That you love me, and that...
I'd like to see Timmy now.
Something you should know is I speak only the best about you to him.
All right, don't patronize me. Okay? I need to see him, and he needs to see me.
- That's it. - Okay. Okay.
I'll see what we can do.
They don't allow visitation on weekends anymore,
and his school routine is pretty locked in.
So, now, on top of everything else,
you're gonna try and keep my son from me?
- No. No, it's not like that. - Isn't like what, Ray?
It's not like you're cheating on your wife
- while she is fucking rotting in jail? - Keep your voice down.
- Rache. - Is that what it's not like?
- Fuck you! - Hey! Hey!
- Fuck off! - Okay, okay, okay.
Go to hell!
It's okay.
Really, this is how you want...
You know what? Thanks for the fuck, Ray! That really hit the spot!
Right, 'cause you're the only one who got fucked by all this. Right?
Hey.
What the fuck is your problem?
- You're in my bunk. - Get a new fucking bunk.
- Hey. That's my stuff! Stop it! - Yeah. It's going down here!
- Hey! - Get your skanky ass stuff out of my bunk!
- Go get a new bunk! - Get your ass out of my fucking bunk.
This is not your bunk!
That ain't right.
You want the bunk? Your bunk? You want that bunk? Huh?
You want that bunk?
You want your fucking bunk now, huh?
Yeah.
Come on, leave her alone.
Get down! Get down! Get down!
Oh, God.
What happened?
I got the shit kicked out of me, Albert. That's what happened.
How? What? Over what?
- We both wanted the top bunk. - What?
Well, you've always known the important things to fight for.
Are the doctors saying you're gonna be all right?
Yeah. Whatever that means.
You know, I'm the most senior prisoner in this jail.
I've had 32 different bunk mates since I've been here.
I gotta say, that's a record.
Is that a new tie?
No, I've had it a while. Domenico Vacca.
- I took you for a Kenneth Cole man. - Kenneth Cole?
Well, I'm glad you retained your sense of humor.
You look like a woman who could use some good news.
It's great news.
They've agreed. They're going to take your case.
It's gonna be an expedited hearing.
The next case this morning is in re Armstrong.
We'll hear first from Mr. Burnside.
Mr. Chief Justice, and may it please the court.
In 1972 in Branzburg v. Hayes,
this court ruled against the right of reporters
to withhold the names of their sources before a grand jury,
and it gave the power to the government
to imprison those reporters who did.
It was a five-four decision. Close.
In his dissent in Branzburg, Justice Stewart said,
"As the years pass,
"the power of government becomes more and more pervasive."
"Those in power," he said, "whatever their politics,
"want only to perpetuate it
"and the people are the victims."
Well, the years have passed, and that power is pervasive.
Ms. Armstrong could have buckled to the demands of the government.
She could have abandoned her promise of confidentiality.
She could have simply gone home to her family.
But to do so
would mean that no source would ever speak to her again,
and no source would ever speak to her newspaper again,
and then tomorrow when we lock up journalists from other newspapers,
we'll make those publications irrelevant as well,
and thus we'll make the First Amendment irrelevant.
And then how will we know if a president has covered up crimes?
Or if an army officer has condoned torture?
We, as a nation, will no longer be able to hold those in power accountable
to those whom they have power over.
And what then is the nature of government
when it has no fear of accountability?
We should shudder at the thought.
Imprisoning journalists? That's for other countries.
That's for countries who fear their citizens,
not countries that cherish and protect them.
Some time ago,
I began to feel the personal human pressure on Rachel Armstrong,
and I told her that I was there to represent her and not a principle.
And it was not until I met her that I realized that with great people,
there's no difference between principle and the person.
Come on. I got new digs for you.
- You know, they brought him out here... - It's nothing.
He's not a real person here.
- Soccer isn't a real thing here. - They don't respond to it the same way.
- Judge, good afternoon. - It's just not.
Good afternoon, thanks for coming over.
Mr. Burnside.
We're talking about soccer not law. Just want you to know.
Look, the reason I asked the two of you to come over here today
is that the Supremes have decided your case.
The ruling will be down on Monday,
but I've been told by a confidential source what it is,
and I wanted to share it with you.
Five-four, opinion against you, Albert.
Same as before. National security, First Amendment,
the court went with national security.
And I want to say to you, Patton, congratulations. You did a great job.
The court once again
has made clear that in a case where journalists are not cooperative,
they may have to be incarcerated.
Well, thank you, sir.
That having been said,
I've decided to let her go.
I'm sorry, sir. What?
I've gotta let her go. I've been doing this a lot of years now,
and I am sure that this woman is not going to reveal her source.
She's been locked up for almost a year.
She has been beaten within an inch of her life.
- She is resolute. - That's exactly right. Exactly right.
I can only keep her in jail if I think doing so will get her to reveal her source.
She's not going to talk. I really have no choice but to let her go.
If I may. This is a...
This is a woman who's been protecting a criminal.
- That makes her a criminal. - Oh, come on. She's not a criminal,
and she won't be a criminal
unless she is duly charged and duly convicted by a jury,
and that's not my call.
When are you gonna sign the paperwork, Your Honor?
I want to get her out of there right away.
I'm gonna go to court Monday morning.
I'm gonna announce that I'm freeing her.
And, Patton, you got a choice. You can beat me to the punch.
Just dissolve the grand jury.
As I'm sure your attorney has informed you,
the grand jury has been disbanded.
We're gonna have to wait till midnight to let you go.
Midnight?
What? You're keeping the reporters away from your losing cause?
Rachel, I know almost all of it.
I am indicting two government officials for talking to you.
I wish I knew who it was that first tipped you off,
but I'm not gonna get greedy.
I'm losing custody of my kid.
You want the wedding ring?
Kind of a trophy.
You know, vilify me if you want, Rachel,
but I had a job to do, and I had every right to do what I did.
I think you're confusing your rights with your power, Mr. Dubois.
It's okay.
We booked you a room at the Mayflower,
but you know you're welcome to stay with me as long as you need.
- Thank you. Thanks. - Sure.
I spoke to Ray.
He's gonna bring Timmy by first thing in the morning.
Thought maybe you would like to take him to school?
Yeah.
- That's okay? - Yeah.
That'd be amazing.
God, I'm gonna scare him to death, though.
And, well, you let me know what you want to do in terms of work.
You can if you want to.
No one's going to pressure you about writing about your experiences.
Oh, please.
Rachel, look in the glove,
hand me the insurance and registration, would you?
I was only going 30.
Ma'am, would you please step outside of the car?
- What's going on? - We just need you to step out.
Not you, ma'am.
- Are you kidding me? - Get out of the car, Rachel.
- What's the problem, sir? - I can't believe this.
- What do you want? - I'm gonna ask you to turn around, please.
- What is it? What are you doing? - Hey, hey! Go easy on her.
Rachel, I'm sorry that it's come to this.
- What is going on? - Back in the car, ma'am.
Rachel, you're being charged with...
- What's going on here? - They're arresting me, Bonnie.
You're being charged with criminal contempt of court.
What does that mean?
Well, it means you have obstructed justice, and you're going on trial.
- Come on. Let's go. - Hasn't she been through enough?
God damn it.
Oh, no. God.
Dubois! Dubois!
Rachel, you're looking at a possible five-year sentence
for impeding a federal investigation,
but I don't wanna go to trial.
So, I want to give you a chance to plead this sentence down.
I want you to look in my eyes and gauge my sincerity.
Use your reporter's instincts. Okay? You're good with those.
- I'm gonna offer you two years. - No. No.
No, it's gonna be suspended sentence, probation.
You have to respect what she's been through.
Albert, two years is not as good an offer as it could be,
but it's not as bad, either.
Because you're guilty, Miss Armstrong. You're guilty as charged,
and if you want to waltz into a courtroom in a martyr's cloak,
trust me, you're gonna see something that you have not seen yet.
Because this polite, country lawyer demeanor
is gonna give way to a wave of self-righteous indignation
that you can't even begin to imagine.
That jury is gonna hear fire-breathing oratory
about a country whose security has been compromised,
a husband widowed, and a little girl who's gotta visit her mother's grave
because you wanted to chase a Pulitzer Prize.
So, if you force me to take you to trial,
I'm gonna make sure that you don't make it home
- for your son's high school graduation. - Come on, that's enough.
So, what's it gonna be, Rachel?
If I agree to this, there is one thing I need.
Oh, my God. You have gotten so handsome.
You're a real little man.
I'll bet you got all the girls chasing after you, huh?
No.
No? Well, you will.
I don't care. Whatever.
Hey, I kind of like your hair this way.
- Look, I know you're mad at me. - No, I'm not.
Well, I think you are, and I haven't let you see me in a long time.
- I'd be mad at me, too. - Well, I'm not. Okay?
Okay.
Look, kiddo, it hasn't been easy for me, either.
If I'd known it was gonna go on this long,
I would have done things differently.
I would have let you see me every single day.
I am so sorry.
Dad says you could have got out of here many times.
Well, your dad is wrong.
- Look, kiddo... - I'm not a kid anymore.
Okay, you know what? You can pretend not to love me all you want,
and I can pretend to believe it,
but I love you,
and I think about you every minute of every day.
Okay?
Dad says you're going to prison.
- I am. - Isn't that where you are now?
No. This is jail.
Jail is where you go when they decide your punishment,
and then you go to prison.
And what's your punishment?
- Two years. - That's a long time.
Yeah. But if I'm well-behaved, then I might get out earlier.
So...
Is it dangerous there?
You know what? If you visit me, come check on me,
I'll be okay.
Okay. I'm kind of busy, but I'll try.
I think we should go now, on account of traffic and all.
Hey, hey, how about a kiss? Just one.
Bye.
You're a tattletale!
- I am not! - You just told on Nicky.
That's because he won't stop.
- You're a tattletale. - Timmy, that's enough. Stop it.
- That's enough. - But you're not supposed to tattle.
Well, you're not supposed to have to put up with bullies, either.
Come on. Come on.
Are you a writer or something?
Yeah, I'm a reporter. I work for the Capital Sun Times.
We get that newspaper.
Oh, yeah? Well, tell all your friends to do the same.
- The Internet is killing us. - Mom, how long till we get there?
- About 18 hours, Timmy. - No, Mom, really.
I don't know. I don't know.
My daddy is a writer.
- He is? What does he write? - He writes articles,
though my mom doesn't really like what he writes about.
- What's he write about? - He writes about the President.
- What's your last name? - Van Doren.
Why doesn't your mommy like what he writes about?
I heard her yelling at Daddy once.
'Cause he used her secret stuff, she found out.
- What she found out? - When she was in Venezuela.
Why was your mom in Venezuela? Was she on vacation?
No, she was working..
- Working? - For the government.
But don't tell anybody it's me who told you. Okay?
You bet.