Posted on 10/07/2005 5:43:13 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove told President Bush and others that he never engaged in an effort to disclose a CIA operative's identity to discredit her husband's criticism of the administration's Iraq policy, according to people with knowledge of Rove's account in the investigation.
They said Rove's denial to Bush occurred during a brief conversation in July 2003, shortly after media reports revealed that former Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, worked as a covert CIA operative.
Those with direct knowledge of evidence gathered in the criminal investigation spoke to The Associated Press only on condition of anonymity because of grand jury secrecy.
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is wrapping up an investigation into whether Rove; Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby; or other White House aides divulged Plame's identity in violation of federal law.
Besides the disclosure of Plame's identity, the investigation is examining whether presidential aides mishandled classified information, made false statements or obstructed justice.
Rove is slated to testify before the grand jury soon for a fourth time, although prosecutors have told him they no longer can assure he will avoid indictment. Rove offered in July to return to the grand jury for additional testimony, and Fitzgerald accepted that offer after taking grand jury testimony from the formerly jailed New York Times reporter Judith Miller.
The discussion with Bush, along with others, was general and did not get into specifics concerning Rove's contacts with two reporters, Time magazine's Matthew Cooper and syndicated columnist Robert Novak, who wrote stories identifying Plame, the people familiar with Rove's account said.
They said Bush asked Rove to assure him he was not involved in an effort to divulge Plame's identity and punish Wilson, and the longtime confidant assured him so. He answered similarly when White House press secretary Scott McClellan asked a similar question.
Robert Luskin, Rove's attorney, declined Friday to comment on the specifics of the discussions with Bush but confirmed his client maintains — then and now — he did not engage in an effort to disclose Plame's identity.
Rove has told a grand jury he first learned of Plame's work for the CIA from news reporters and then discussed it with Novak and Cooper.
"Did Karl purposely set out to disclose Valerie Plame's identity in order to punish Joe Wilson for his criticism? The answer is, 'No,'" Luskin said. "That was his answer in July 2003 and in October 2003 (when he first testified) And it remains his answer today."
"He always truthfully denied that he was never part of any campaign to punish Joe Wilson by disclosing the identity of his wife," Luskin said.
In addition to Rove's discussions with reporters, investigators are also looking into a delay in learning about Rove's contact with Cooper and an e-mail between Rove and now-National Security Adviser Steve Hadley that referenced the conversation.
Cooper's contact with Rove did not come up in Rove's first interview or grand jury appearance, but he volunteered the information and provided the email during a second grand jury appearance.
Wilson, Plame's husband, went public on July 6, 2003, with criticism of Bush administration officials, suggesting they manipulated intelligence to justify the Iraq war.
Eight days later, Novak revealed the identity of Wilson's wife, giving her maiden name, Valerie Plame, the name she used as a covert CIA officer. Novak said his information about Wilson's wife had come from two senior administration officials.
Rove acknowledged talking to Novak about the story. Cooper's wrote a similar story a few days after also talking with Rove.
Instead, he left the President twisting in the wind, on Rove's assurances that his hands were off this.
"Was she a CIA operative or was she a desk jockey?"
A desk jockey who "covertly" posed for the cover of Vanity Fair
Rove Says He Wasn't Involved in CIA Leak >>>>
So? Rove can say anything. Somebody leaked the news. I thought it was someone who worked for cheney.
This won't stop Alan Colmes from spinnig EVERY TOPIC into a conversation about Karl Rove. Two straight nights whenever the Louie Frehr book is discussed he immediately starts talking about Karl Rove. Pathetic!
It appears relatively simple to determine that Plame was no longer a covert agent covered under the law in question, and the one who really let the administration down is the one who decided that everyone in the White House should keep their mouth shut instead of killing this non-story before an investigation was even begun.
I wonder if Robert Novak is proud of his part in this. I thought he was the one who actually broadcast to the whole bloody world what Joe Wilson's wife did for a living. Is it only illegal if Karl Rove or Scooter Libby told somebody?
You must not read DU or Kos. The moonbats actually think this investigation is going to lead to indictments and convictions of President Bush AND Dick Cheney, and the DeLay indictments and convictions will lead to indictments of the rest of the House leadership, and Bill Frist is going to jail for insider trading, and the line of succession will eventually lead to a Democrat taking over as President. I kid you not.
"I couldn't say how disgusted I am about all this "spy" stuff. when do all these people have time to do the people's business? Bunch of egotistical, self important morons if you ask me. Who cares? ---except they're ripping off the American taxpayer trying to convice us they're important to our survival. Better think again."
Uh, I've gotta disagree with that. Plame apparently worked in the area of analyzing or detecting other countries' involvement with nuclear weapons. Is that not important to you? It's important to me, and should be important to all of us. (And if anyone undermined her work, that should also be important to all of us -- whoever that was.)
Those are the talking points I have heard all day.
The GOP needs to do some serious damage control, MSM has been shaping the issues and the sheeple buy it.
That being said Bush is the master of the game. GOP needs to take their bickering out of dem earshot.
At this stage I am more inclined to believe that Plame undermined her own work by sending/suggesting her husband for the Niger mission. He was completely unqualified to make any real final judgment, has shown himself to be a liar and used the trip for partisan political purposes.
Can anyone actually, factually, determine that in between Vanity Fair photoshoots, she ever did any work along those lines, thus justifying her salary?
the infowarrior
So Valarie darling should be indicted for exposing herself...
Let me see if i get it. Some of you think Wilson will be indicted?
No comments.
Remember during Ken Starr's investigation how there was this great controversy over Grand Jury leaks and the press was all in an uproar and the administration started an "investigation" of the leaks and how they claimed Starr was dirty because he was leaking confidential Grand Jury information?
Where's the outrage now?
No clue but "All of us wish...."
There have been relatively few leaks in this investigation, it seems to me. That's as it should be.
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