Was Ashcroft a Co-Conspirator in the Plame Cover-Up? Will he be indicted?

[McCamy Taylor]

"Senior law enforcement officials"are talking and what they are saying isnt flattering. Conyers wants him investigated.John Ashcroft mat have thought that by resigning when he did he was going to get off scot free, but I sure hope he was wrong.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/081505Y.shtml

Justice Department officials made the crucial decision in late 2003 to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the leak of the identity of undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame in large part because investigators had begun to specifically question the veracity of accounts provided to them by White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove, according to senior law enforcement officials.

Several of the federal investigators were also deeply concerned that then attorney general John Ashcroft was personally briefed regarding the details of at least one FBI interview with Rove, despite Ashcroft's own longstanding personal and political ties to Rove, the Voice has also learned. The same sources said Ashcroft was also told that investigators firmly believed that Rove had withheld important information from them during that FBI interview.

Those concerns by senior career law enforcement officials regarding the propriety of such briefings continuing, as Rove became more central to the investigation, also was instrumental in the naming of special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald.

Up until that point, the investigation had been conducted by a team of career prosecutors and FBI agents, some of whom believed Ashcroft should recuse himself. Democrats on Capitol Hill were calling for him to step down, but he did not. Then on December 30, 2003, Ashcroft unexpectedly recused himself from further overseeing the matter, and James B. Comey, then deputy attorney general, named Patrick J. Fitzgerald as the special prosecutor who would take over the case.

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. I suspect his voice may be on the tapes.

Remember how he started to fly private planes that last month? Maybe someone said that they were going to contact the Administration and warn them about the likelihood of an attack, and Ascroft's actions are a smoking gun to that conversation?

[Quakerfriend]

3. Are there tapes??

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Sibel said that there were about ten recognizable voices.

I just assumed that meant there are tapes somewhere. Was it a wrong assumption?

[Independent_Liberal]

5. Hmmmm.... tapes.

What is it with them and tapes?

[NoFederales]

7. More than anyone I would see Ashcroft go down

A Republican Plague on Missouri politics he, and others, have sheltered themselves within the extremist elements of the GOP and played havoc not only on State, but National politics. His sudden recusal was stunning--where was the former arrogance, where was that loathsome holy mien, why was he shunning himself? Did he realize that he had slipped up? I've watched this guy for too long--illness? or fear? taking a hit for the big boys?

Let's hope it's fear of legal reprisals against himself.

NoFederales

[MO_Dem]

8. I agree with ya

It sure would be fun to see Mullah Ashcroft go down along with the rest of the "evildoers" in this investigation. We now have the Blunts, et al, doing more damage than Ashcroft ever dreamed of, I'm afraid.

[Independent_Liberal]

2. Kick and thanks for posting this MT!

[DemInDistress]

6. back in Oct.2003

referring to the Rove statement,"I've never spoken to Cooper at all".
Did he actually say that? or did he just fail to mention he spoke to Cooper days before thse story broke? Can you claraify ? Because if he did say "he never spoke to Cooper ever" that is now a confirmed lie..