June 5 (Bloomberg) -- Vice President Dick Cheney was interviewed by federal prosecutors who asked whether he knew of anyone at the White House who disclosed the identity of an undercover CIA agent, the New York Times reported on its Web site, citing people involved in official discussions about the case.

Cheney was asked about conversations with his chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby, and other senior aides, the Times reported. He was also asked whether he knew of any concerted effort by White House officials to name Valerie Plame, the report said.

The interview of the vice-president was part of a grand jury investigation into whether anyone at the White House violated a federal law that makes it a crime to intentionally divulge the name of an undercover officer, the paper said. It was not clear how Cheney responded to the questions, and he is not thought to be a focus of the investigation, the report said.

Plame's identity was leaked to journalists in 2002, after her husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson, publicly disputed administration claims that Iraq had sought uranium in Africa.

(The New York Times Online 6/5)

To contact the reporter on this story: Peter Vercoe in Sydney at pvercoe@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: June 5, 2004 00:03 EDT