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.

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

[carlr]

LOL,I was over "there" when you were posting this.

Great minds think alike?

[oh8eleven]

Another DUer posted this ... "Cspan caller: 'Ha ha, Bill Clinton Impeached, Karl Rove is Free'!"
ROFLMAO

[Bahbah]

Russert will be on with Imus shortly. I wonder if he'll be breathing a sigh of relief too?

I am so perverse. I am hoping he looks all white and pasty because if Rove was not lying (which, of course, he wasn't), maybe Fitz will indict someone who actually was, like Mr. Potato Head. I know it won't happen because the point was not to get to any "truth" but to hurt the Administration, but I want to enjoy my little daydream anyway.

[SW6906]

Gotta love this one:

I must say, though, Fitzgerald is a class act. Compared to Ken Starr, especially. Fitzgerald seems to do everything properly, perfectly legally and in accordance with the spirit of the law, as should be in courts.

ROTFLMAO!

[jslade]

Skittles Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue Jun-13-06 07:03 AM Response to Reply #3 12. that bastard gets away with everything doesn't he? watch the freepers rally around this g.d. traitor, never once asking themselves how they would behave if this was a DEMOCRAT....yeah that's right freepers, you hypocritical pathetic pieces of SH*T

I love the smell of DUmmies imploding in the morning.

[jebeier]

So the only indictment is Scooter Libby who supposedly lied about something that was not a crime.

Just updating my scorecard.

[Sacajaweau]

Now we have to go back and look at Fitz's extension of powers to include "whatever he could come up with" besides outing an "unsecret" agent.

P.S. She can't be that bright...she married Joe.

[Coop]

Well now, that's just rude. All the outstanding news regarding the war on terror, Bilbray winning the House seat, the Haditha Marines fighting back, and now this?

My condolences to all you liberals and "real conservatievs" out there. But look at the bright side. There's a hurricane out there that may devastate Florida and the East Coast!

[SW6906]

"The good stuff hasn`t started yet."

You're right - most Dems aren't up this early. Give it a couple hours........

[mewzilla]

I must say, though, Fitzgerald is a class act.

Yeah, him and Mike Nifong.

[prisoner6]

DUmmies are waking up - well they never wake up - let's say they're having a bad start to their day...TeeHee!

prisoner6

[Bahbah]

check out the moonbat callers on C Span!

LOLOL. Surely there is some medication they can take. One guy just said "Special Prosecuters are all Republicans", so the outcome is a foregone conclusion.

[Jhensy]

These idiots charged the red flag...




and went right over the cliff...





again...

[moose2004]

The DUmmies will deny it and say an indictment is still possible.

[jebeier]

Skittles Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue Jun-13-06 07:03 AM Response to Reply #3 12. that bastard gets away with everything doesn't he? watch the freepers rally around this g.d. traitor, never once asking themselves how they would behave if this was a DEMOCRAT....yeah that's right freepers, you hypocritical pathetic pieces of SH*T

It's a shame hypocritical pathetic piece of SH*T is more than 30 characters. It would make a heck of a screen-name!

[tiredoflaundry]

I like the caller that claimed Rove practices Voodoo in the WH basement!

[SW6906]

See post 31.

[JohnLongIsland]

This will make the Dummies even more upset than Zarqawi getting blown away!!

zarqawi was an ally, rove is arguably enemy #1.

[Bahbah]

How about the one who says Bush killed people on 7/11.

[carlr]

How credible is this report? So far it's only an assertion from Rove's lawyer.

Fitzgerald's spokesman refused to comment, so is there any reason to believe this report?

They already are.