WaPo: Sources close to Plame case expect at least one indictment

[lancdem]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/13/AR2005071302343.html

Several people familiar with the investigation said they expect Fitzgerald to indict, or at least force a plea agreement with, at least one individual for leaking Plame's name to conservative columnist Robert D. Novak in July 2003.

Randall D. Eliason, former public corruption chief at the U.S. Attorney's Office here, said Fitzgerald likely has evidence of serious wrongdoing, or he would not have gone this far.

"Right now, it's more political damage than legal damage" for the White House, Eliason said. "But it's reasonable to speculate he wouldn't go to the Supreme Court on reporters' privilege unless he had something pretty serious. You don't subpoena reporters and throw them in jail lightly. Fitzgerald is not some type of bomb-thrower."

(I don't recall any MSM article having this before; it was always much more vague than that. I think this is very significant.)

[IndyOp]

1. One of many aspects of this case I don't understand:

"Rove has cooperated completely with the special prosecutor, and he has been repeatedly assured he is not a target of the investigation."

:shrug:

[gkhouston]

3. assured by whom? Luskin?

How many gold bars did that "assurance" cost?

[IndyOp]

4. Possible that this 'assurance' is total BS - if so, fine. If not,

then what? I'm not expecting anyone to have a perfectly polished crystal ball - just wondering if anyone has some insight here. My best guess is that Gonzalez will fire Fitzgerald if he goes after Rove - the WH will allow Fitz to go after a more lowly sacrificial lamb, but will mow him down if he goes after KKK. Could *that* be why KKK is smiling?

[skip fox]

2. The larger view . . . 6 total contacts/exposures of Plame = indictments.

Rove Will Go Down In Plames

Cooper's e-mail to his boss was just a boiled down summary of what Rove actually said, no matter how much Fox tries to make it seem as though it was the total substance. And then they conveniently forget to remember there were at least 5 more contacts and 3 confirmations, facts which suggest there will be one or more indictments for Rove and at least one more for another "high administration official," resulting to a loss of Republican credibility of being the party or morals and personal responsibility.

We know there were 6 calls because 6 contacts were made (Miller, Cooper, Novak among them). We know 3 contacts confirmed their stories with another "high administration official."

Therefore

1.) 1 man (named Rove by Cooper) made all 6 calls (which reduces the contention of "unknowingly" providing Plame's identity laughable). But he would have had to make sure that there were a few other "high administration officials" ready and willing to confirm his story, which strongly suggests coordination. Did Rove mastermind this portion before "unknowingly" releasing Plame's identity 6 times? Was this coordination "unknowing" as well? What does "knowing" mean? Repeated deliberate acts and coordinating with others for future support suggest a strong and clear intentions. It has knowledgeable design written all over it.

or,

2.) more than 1 person (Rove and at least one other) made the 6 calls. (The fact that one source released Cooper from his agreement of confidentiality but one source did not release Miller suggest at least 2 sources.) Rove would have more to coordinate! To establish guidelines like: No source should call another's contact, Pitch the information off hand, not as the main subject, Make the contact think the source is trying to do him or her a favor ("Don't go too far out on this Wilson thing, I don't want you burnt."), etc. AND Rove would have had to field a group of officials to support the sources stories.

I say Rove coordinated because it is obvious he did so since anyone in the administration in possession of the Plame-Wilson-CIA link would have gone straight to the world master of deceitful politics, and now we know Rove was at least one of the leakers.


So, in the first case we have at least 2 indictments for Rove (exposing and conspiring to expose) and (perhaps) 1 or more indictments for others (confirming and condoning the exposure while furthering it).

But in the second case we have at least 2 for Rove (same as above, but more evidence of conspiracy) and 1 or more clearcut indictments for others (both leakers and confirmers for exposure).

And then we haven't even begun to ask the question of how Rove got the information. (Doesn't leaking the information to him also constitute a crime?) Did Plame give information to officials as one report suggested? Why did Ashbery recluse himself? Did Rove have the proper clearance prior to becoming Deputy Chief of Staff to have seen the material? Or were other federal laws broken to the effect that classified information was used for political purposes? Etc.

I think the great thing we have going for us on this case is Patrick Fitzgerald. By all accounts a fine prosecutor.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Very significant, lancdem -- thanks for posting. nt

[Jacobin]

6. Scooter Libby is going to be the fall guy

He'll get convicted, appeal and before going to jail, Smirk will pardon him.

[kenny blankenship]

9. Him and John Hannah

who both work for Big Time Cheney whose "office" sent Joe Wilson to Niger. Rove may be indeed less of a target for the Prosecutor to seek and for the White House to protect than Dick Cheney.
But since Karl Rove was reportedly named by Matt Cooper as the source he talked to on "double super secret background", it's a little difficult to see how Rover isn't indictable too.

He had hot stuff for Cooper and his name wasn't to be used (double super secret background) and the stuff was about Wilson's wife. Consciousness of committing a crime is usually implicit in concealing it, and what is "double super secret background" besides an attempt to leak damaging information which you know must not ever be traced back to you?

I love how Cooper and apparently Rove too, think that dancing around with Espionage Act offenses is a game for kiddies. "double super secret!"

[warrens]

7. Those 8 redacted pages indicate that SOMEONE is in big trouble

It is clear that Rove was into character assassination, but not so clear that he broke the law explicitly enough that he would go to jail. There may be something even worse that Fitzgerald is after, and the "target" concept is important. Grand juries don't interview the target; they interview witnesses, and decide whether to hand up an indictment. Rove and Miller may just be bit players in something worse, like handing over a classified document (Plame's CIA file) to someone not authorized to receive it. Maybe someone not American.

[The Night Owl]

8. Music to my ears!

Rove in an orange jumpsuit. I need to see that.

[leftofthedial]

10. they'll probably indict some Democrat

or a journalist

[fishnfla]

11. This is the only "hint" coming from the OSP

They've been tight as a clam so far. Perhaps they are trying to ward off "witchhunt" propaganda