No Indictment of Rove in CIA-Leak Case!

NRO ^ | 6/13/06 | Byron York

[The G Man]

June 13, 2006, 6:44 a.m.

No Indictment of Rove in CIA-Leak Case
Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald makes a decision.

By Byron York

Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has informed top White House adviser Karl Rove that Rove will not face indictment in the CIA-leak investigation, National Review Online has learned. The word came yesterday, when Fitzgerald told Rove lawyer Robert Luskin that he, Fitzgerald, did not plan to seek charges against Rove. This morning, Luskin released a brief statement:

 

On June 12, 2006, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald formally advised us that he does not anticipate seeking charges against Karl Rove.

In deference to the pending case, we will not make any further public statements about the subject matter of the investigation. We believe that the Special Counsel’s decision should put an end to the baseless speculation about Mr. Rove’s conduct.

 Rove appeared five times before a grand jury investigating the CIA-leak case; the most recent was in April. Before appearing before the grand jury, Rove was interviewed by FBI agents assigned to the investigation. Fitzgerald’s inquiry, it appears, focused most intensely on the first two sessions — the FBI interview and the first grand-jury testimony.

The key question to be resolved by Fitzgerald was said to be whether to charge Rove in connection with his testimony regarding a brief July 11, 2003, conversation with Time magazine’s Matthew Cooper. In both his interview with the FBI and in his first grand jury appearance, Rove did not tell investigators about the conversation with Cooper. By the time Rove appeared for a second time before the grand jury, Rove had discovered evidence — an internal White House e-mail — showing that he did indeed talk to Cooper. Rove gave the evidence to Fitzgerald, who then questioned him about it at length.

Rove is thought to have testified that he simply did not remember the Cooper conversation until he discovered the e-mail. (Cooper himself described the talk as being about two minutes long and occurring right as Rove was leaving on vacation.) Supporting Rove’s contention was the fact that Rove, apparently, testified from the very beginning that he talked to columnist Robert Novak, which suggested he was not trying to hide his involvement in the case from Fitzgerald.

A decision by Fitzgerald — one way or the other — had been anticipated for months. There was widespread speculation that Rove might face charges for lying to Fitzgerald’s grand jury much like those filed by Fitzgerald last October against Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff. Now, it appears that will not happen. And so far, at least, no one has been charged with violating any of the underlying laws in the case — either the Intelligence Identities Protection Act or the Espionage Act.

Rove’s fate has been the subject of intense discussion among critics of the Bush administration. Perhaps foremost among them is former ambassador Joseph Wilson, whose wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, was the CIA employee at the center of the affair. In August 2003, Wilson vowed to pursue Rove vigorously, saying, “At the end of the day it’s of keen interest to me to see whether or not we can get Karl Rove frog-marched out of the White House in handcuffs.”

— Byron York, NR’s White House correspondent, is the author of The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy: The Untold Story of How Democratic Operatives, Eccentric Billionaires, Liberal Activists, and Assorted Celebrities Tried to Bring Down a President — and Why They’ll Try Even Harder Next Time.

---

National Review Online - http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YjQzM2QxZWFmNDRkMTBkZDg5ODI3OTNkNjgwYmJiZjc=

[Raycpa]

If this is the first 500 pound bomb to hit the wacko's, I hope the second saying that Fitz is dropping charges against Libby is on target right now.

[kellynla]

while Fitzgerald has wasted MILLIONS OF TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS "investigating" what any beat cop in America could have determined in 24 hours that Valerie Plame was NOT A COVERT COVERED CIA AGENT. PERIOD

[LucyJo]

"Cspan caller: 'Ha ha, Bill Clinton Impeached, Karl Rove is Free'!"

Imagine what the Dems coulda/woulda done to Rove with the same amount of evidence the Pubs had against Clinton! They gave it the old "college try" with no evidence of wrongdoing.

[LibertyLee]

He's The DUmmie from a DUmmie website claiming to specialize in "truth" that asserted that Rove already HAD been indicted on May 12. When that didn't show, he said they had "24 business hours" to annouce it". When that didn't happen he made himself and his chief acolyte, a follow by the name of Pitt, look like the ridiculous DUmmies they are.

[JCEccles]

DU says Rove has turned state's evidence.

So now DU's pulling for him. He's their guy.

[Preachin']

"I took a look and it appears that the DUmmies all getting in the Kool-Aid line over at Jim Jones' house."

I looked too, and they seem to be laying out all hopes that VP Cheney will indicted instead.

One poster was upset that the headlines will reflect negatively on the democrats. Duh!!!!!!!!!!!

[grey_whiskers]

BUSH'S FAULT!!!

Someone put ,i>The Daily POS KOS on suicide watch!

Cheers!

[areafiftyone]

I was reading other threads there and they are still keeping their hopes that Cheney is indicted. And some don't even believe Rove until Fitzgerald says it himself. They are living in a dream world.

[Panzerlied]

Du Lieber GOTT!

ROFLMAO

[Raycpa]

DU says Rove has turned state's evidence.

He already is "state's" evidence. He has testified numerous times and has cooperated, so has Libby.

[RobFromGa]

from truthout blog...

NYT - Rove officially cleared
Front page headline, but for the record:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/13/washington/13cnd-leak.html

If I was Jason Leopold, or any of the management of Truthout, I'd be considering suicide right now.

by Xbrit on Tue Jun 13th, 2006 at 06:01:31 AM EDT

---

Man I feel like jumping off the bridge
Up until the weekend I was really convinced that the story was totaly true and it was just some spinmaster Republicans trying to fool us into not believing because they were scared of it then when I started reading some other places and I started having some doubts I still really wanted to think it was true but now I just feel dumb for going after Texas Republican and decon and objectionist and them who was saying the story was wrong and they were right all along and we were just believing a bunch of lies and made to look really stupid and how does that happen I do'nt know but I know I learned something and thats not to believe everything you read just because you want to believe it and maybe you should pay attention more to things when people give you all the reasons why stuff does'nt really make sense and not just ignore them just because you do'nt like them. Now I'm angry at Truth Out because when you go back and look at everything it has to be they were lying to every one and knew every one would end up getting burned for listening to them and they did it any way ther'es nothing I hate more than being made to look stupid by a bunch of ahole Republicans and now they'll be gloating all over and thats that so Texas Republican and all the rest to beat you the punch I admit I was wrong about everything and you were right and I apologize for getting on your butts about it and just leave mea alone.

by angry matt on Tue Jun 13th, 2006 at 07:14:48 AM EDT
[ Parent ]

---

[teddyballgame]

I think you are all missing the point. I think in their heart of hearts (if they had one) the left knew these charges were bogus and Karl Rove would not be indicted. It'd be a bonus for them - but they knew it wasn't likely.

This is the nature of the "Drive-By-Media". It is not the facts of the case, its the seriousness of the charges. They got their drive-by hit, and just like Haditha, it unravels and they move on. I was speaking to a UK businessman here in the US on business and he was unaware that the whole Bush-National Guard story had been completely debunked. All he remembered was that there was a controversy about it.

All these "scandals" produce exactly what the MSM want, a quick hit. By the time the story is proved to be baseless the damage has been done.

[cake_crumb]

"I'm very happy!"

I'll be even happier if/when JOE is the frog marched.

[Republican Red]

Just gets better and better.

Marc Ashe, executive edtor of truthout explains comments on the secret sealed indictment (case "06 cr 128"). He then reminds everyone that his site is more than about a Rove indictment. In other words, don't judge my site by Leopold. lololol

Brief note to our regulars:

One negative consequence of the Rove indictment firestorm has been that so much of what we cover that is so important to the community has been pushed into the background. There's a war going on, the right to vote is in doubt, democracy itself is under attack. Let's work together to keep our focus. Truthout

[freedumb2003]

Nothing like liberal tears for breakfast! :)

[JCEccles]

I mean it in the Hollywood melodramatic sense.

DU'ers have this image of Rove making providing this spectacular and sensational testimony that will bring down the entire Temple of Bush and leave it a mighty ruin.

[grey_whiskers]

"B-de-be-ba-Th-Th-That's All, Folks!"

I've always thought Rove bore a resemblance to Porky Pig.

Cheers!

[snugs]

President George W. Bush 's senior adviser and White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove speaks at the New Hampshire Republican Party's annual dinner in Manchester, New Hampshire, June 12, 2006

He looked pretty cherpy last night I wonder if he already knew.

[LucyJo]

You're right, because they only expend ink and broadcast time on the hit, and not on its debunking. Thank God for the Internet and talk radio.

[Raycpa]

I agree that some of the more experienced politicians knew this was crap from the start, but these folks at DU and Truthout are "True Believers"