Michael Vickers Identified as 'Zero Dark Thirty' Leaker

The Obama administration official who leaked sensitive information to the filmmakers behind “Zero Dark Thirty” has been identified as Michael Vickers, senior Defense Department official who was being considered as a candidate to fill the role of CIA Director for President Obama.

Pentagon investigators determined that Vickers “provided the makers of ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ with the name of a U.S. Special Operations Command officer” who helped plan the operation that took out Osama bin Laden in May 2011. 

Because the release of Vickers’ name seems to have been delayed by the investigators — as some within the DOD believe Vickers may still be on track on for Director of CIA nomination — Rep. Peter King (R-NY) suspects politics run amok. 

But King believes the delay in releasing Vickers’ name may have been intended to protect an even bigger office: the presidency. Seen in this light, delaying or slowing the release of Vickers’ name was “a politically risky decision that could ignite charges that officials were trying to protect President Barack Obama during his tough re-election battle.”