# Confidentiality, in light of Plamegate ... how far does it go?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confidentiality-in-light-of-plamegate-how-far-does-it-go/312886>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 17, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confidentiality-in-light-of-plamegate-how-far-does-it-go/312886 "2005-07-17T18:01:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confidentiality-in-light-of-plamegate-how-far-does-it-go/312886/1 "2005-07-17T18:01:28Z")

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Well, we know that journalists are not guaranteed confidentiality re: their sources at the federal level. But what about other professions, like lawyers or clergy? If a hypothetical White House leaker revealed the identity of an undercover CIA agent to his/her attorney, could that attorney be forced to testify before the grand jury? What about if the leaker revealed the same to his priest during confession … could the priest wind up on the stand?

Is there any difference here and in normal criminal proceedings? After all, in the case of a leak, the passage of the confidential information IS the crime itself–as compared to say, a confession to a priest that revealed incriminating details about a murder (where the murder was the crime, but talking to someone about it was not).