NYT: Fitzgerald Considering Perjury Charges Against Rove

[kpete]

Prosecutor Weighs Charges Against Rove in Leak Case
By ELISABETH BUMILLER and DAVID JOHNSTON
Published: April 28, 2006

WASHINGTON, April 27 — Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor in the C.I.A. leak case, is expected to decide in the next two to three weeks whether to bring perjury charges against Karl Rove, the powerful adviser to President Bush, lawyers involved in the case said Thursday.

Lawyers in the case said Mr. Fitzgerald would spend the coming days reviewing the transcript of Mr. Rove's three hours of testimony on Wednesday and weigh it against his previous statements to the grand jury as well as the testimony of others, including a sworn statement that Mr. Rove's lawyer gave to the prosecutor earlier this year. The lawyers were granted anonymity so they could speak about the internal legal deliberations in Mr. Rove's case.

A lawyer with knowledge of the case said that Mr. Rove had known for more than a month that he was likely to make another appearance before the grand jury, and that he had known since last fall that he would be subject to further questions from Mr. Fitzgerald before the prosecutor completed his inquiry.

MORE AT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/28/washington/28leak.html

[bluerum]

1. Two or three weeks!! If he lied he lied before Wed! I wonder why

Fitzgerald is taking so damn long.

[Pirate Smile]

5. It was the same thing with Scooter. People kept thinking it might

happen the next time the GJ met but it took weeks and we essentially knew when it would happen - Fitz will make it clear by saying he will have an announcement a few days later, new stuff gets put on the website, etc.

I would be shocked if he just drops the bomb without days of warning that it is coming.

Assume it will happen in 2 or 3 weeks.

[HereSince1628]

6. I suspect he has to prepare the documents and there could

be multiple counts and doesn't each count get put before the GJ to see if they agree? Then I suppose there is some opportunity for changes as needed...

I hope it is all true...indictment coming and within a couple weeks.

[MADem]

27. Because his agenda is not political, it is judicial

This is classic Fitzgerald. Start at the bottom, round up the little fish, and work your way, slowly, gradually, up the ladder. He's like a spider sitting in his web, waiting.

The administration lackeys think they are too clever by half, but they aren't counting on people saying one thing to them, and something else entirely to the Grand Jury (why, they wouldn't DARE! Oh YES THEY WOULD--ask Judy Miller!). And the lackeys have no real way of knowing who said what, when, to whom.

Perjury, in the big picture, does not address what happened to Joseph Wilson's wife, or any of the other excesses of this brutal regime under which we toil. But the wheels of justice, like the wheels of the gods, grind slowly....and if they grind as fine as the wheels of the gods, we'll be able to use what remains of this administration as mulch for the WH Rose Garden!

[bluerum]

39. I hope you are right.

[Hekate]

41. "Mulch for the Rose Garden" -- great image LOL. Popcorn, anyone?

:rofl: :popcorn: :popcorn: :rofl:

Hekate

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. Why, oh why must these wheels move so damned slowly?

[gordianot]

4. Just think * is going to lose his minder how can he remain as a decider.

[Pirate Smile]

7. Bush's brain will be indicted for lying - Bush's brain is a liar.

How appropriate.

[BobRossi]

8. Keep perspective..

The finest wines age slowly and are to be savored in sips.

[rodeodance]

42. Lovely

[0007]

3. Isn't it clear now why the White House tried to convice us that

Rove was being replaced?

It is still not publicly known why Mr. Rove's e-mail message to Mr. Hadley was not turned over earlier, but a lawyer in the case said White House documents were collected in response to several separate requests that may not have covered certain time periods or all relevant officials. Mr. Rove had no role in the search for documents, which was carried out by an administrative office in the White House.

Also on Thursday, a federal judge refused to dismiss charges against I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney who was indicted on perjury and obstruction charges in the leak case last year.

The judge, Reggie B. Walton of Federal District Court, turned down a motion by lawyers for Mr. Libby who challenged Mr. Fitzgerald's authority to handle the case

[jody]

9. That's probably why Rove lost his policy-making duties. n/t

[paparush]

10. The Decider's Great Brain will be sumarily pardoned...

and stuffed down our throats as a hard working patriot who's done a lot for amerikuh...

[Catherine Vincent]

11. I hope Fitzgerald is crossing all the t's and dotting all the i's.

Two to three weeks? I know Fitzgerald is a very careful prosecutor and I would be disappointed if he finds no reason to indict Karl Rove. I guess I should prepare myself for that.

[stop the bleeding]

12. You know he is, this is a BIG BIG BIG indictment -

if your gonna get the pig you want to make sure there is no grease on him anywhere so that he doesn't slip away at the last minute. Plus I have waited 6 years for this bleep to brought down. At this point I don't mind waiting a couple of weeks.

;)

[kpete]

15. Could not resist sharing this with you...

[stop the bleeding]

18. you are a person of many talents

notice the lack of grase ;)

[Catherine Vincent]

21. LOL!

"if your gonna get the pig you want to make sure there is no grease on him anywhere so that he doesn't slip away"

You described Rove pretty good there. :)

[calimary]

40. When you put it that way...

Perspective is MOST valuable. Yes, I too can wait another two or three weeks. Besides, think of what-all else might happen between now and then, to this scandal-saturated snakepit!


:evilgrin:

At any rate, it behooves Fitzgerald to dot EVERY i and cross EVERY t with the utmost care. I'm sure he knows well - just what AND WHOM he's up against. Investigating this case in particular, you can be guaranteed that he is VERY well aware how these people work.

[wryter2000]

13. My choice in the pool is looking good -- June 14

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2580296#2580309

[Me.]

44. I Think Sooner

May 8-9. Can they say crisis management?

*shadow government*

[gkhouston]

14. so which "lawyers in the case" is this coming from?

'Cause if this is coming from Luskin again, he's probably trying to let the air out of the balloon slowly and there's gotta be spin to this "news". Have we ever seen Fitzgerald say anything about the case other than the time last October when he said there would be a press conference coming up shortly?

[Norquist Nemesis]

16. It's not the Special Prosecutors that it's coming from

You can bet your bottom dollar on it! Fitzie's office is leak proof.

It's frustrating for reporters who want to get a scoop, and the Rove/Libby lawyers are using it to their advantage. Anytime you see "lawyers close to the case", its the defense side with this case.

[gkhouston]

20. exactly. So if the best face that Luskin et al can put on matters right

now is that Rove might be indicted for perjury in 2-3 weeks, what's reality? That he will be indicted, possibly sooner than that? That perjury isn't going to be the only charge? How would Luskin think his client might benefit from this leak? Is he hoping for a pardon and this leak is a signal that Rove will talk unless one is forthcoming? :shrug:

[Norquist Nemesis]

22. I suspect Luskin's using the 'perjury' charge so the supporters

can put their "expert analysis" tapes on rewind to trash Fitzgerald. You know, the ole "Well, he wasn't charged with the underlying crime! He didn't out a CIA agent! Joe Wilson is a liar!"

It also keeps the spotlight on someone else (Cheney, maybe?) for the "underlying crime".

[npincus]

17. A lawyer on "Hardballz" last nite said Fitz may have already

prepared the indictment "paperwork", and Rove's testimony (answering outstanding questions, ocnfirming prior testimony, etc.) would weigh in his decision to proceed or not.

So, that may expedite the indictment date, if it is to happen. Big IF.

[stop the bleeding]

19. thank you

I am going home tonight an putting 2 bottles of champagne on ice :)

[npincus]

23. tee hee- I'm streaming Neil Young's "Living With War" now...

what could be better... the release of this masterpiece AND the possible indictment of that human stain... I don't know if I can take more hapiness!

:)

But seriously folks, I posted a thread that sank quickly yesterday... David Schuster said something on KO that I thought was significant: Libby received his "Target Letter" the same day (morning) that he was indicted!!! That was the legal, official notice that Libby was given of his (probable) indictment- a couple of hours-- at most!!!

So... if Rove's lawyer, in fact did not receive in writing that his client, Rove, was an official "target", that doesn't mean shit... apparantly Fitz considers this legal notification a formality without much import. In that light, he may very well have his paperwork tidy with nary a few 't's to cross and 'i's to dot... with yesterday's testimony, Fitz as The Decider probably made his decision.

in my heart of hearts I don't know what to think, but like you, am praying it goes our way. Cheers!

[stop the bleeding]

24. I noticed that as well about D.S talking about Fibby's indictment

come on champagne!

[npincus]

25. we need a GJ watcher...

please recommend any good blog that's doing so...

[stop the bleeding]

29. I wonder where seemslikeadream is

she sometimes is around to blog on the internets.

Too bad a DU'er in DC can't sit on the court steps to wait and see.

I have been checking the Federal site that houses all public filings, nothing new -

usually I just check for new Libby documents - which BTW Fitz just filed paperwork today giving Libby a bunch of paperwork from the CIA something to do with an 04/18/06 Ex parte order.

But today is the 1st day that I put Rove's name into the database.

stay cold champagne.. stay cold

[npincus]

30. kpete posted that Rove's lawyers said no word for 10 days...

I'm sure you read that already.

UGH... this wait is a killer. Ah well.

[stop the bleeding]

32. I trust Luskin about as much as Satan, Bush and Darth Cheney

I would listen to Jason Leopold before listening to Luskin

[npincus]

33. LOL

Satan's always steered me wrong.

Well, if here is a micro-morsal of truth to this, I prefer an indictment to be handed up mid-week instead of a Friday, anyway.

[lancdem]

38. Perhaps the delay is so Fitz can push Rove

to cut a deal. I'm sure Fitz would love to get more evidence against Cheney or Bush.

[The Wielding Truth]

36. Love the idea......

"...Fitz is The Decider..."

[madrchsod]

26. mr roves lawyers

are telling us what they think is going to happen. that`s nice. another "phoned in" story from karl to the new york times.

[RedSpartan]

28. While they of course will deny, deny, deny,

to the extent any RWinger tries to downplay perjury in any way, I'll likely bust a gut laughing.

[WiseButAngrySara]

31. After all of this, and just a charge of LYING? We know that lying is

synonymous with piggie KKKRove! What about obstruction of justice? If he intentionally lied, he HAD to commit OOJ, right? And who is responsible for the very crime that no one so far has been accused of? The outing of Valerie Plame?

I'm really losing trust in Fitz. I don't think any charges of any relevance are going to 'stick' to these greaseballs. I hope I'm just temporarily insane.

[RagAss]

43. I agree with you......two easy pardons are on the way....

this was one big waste of time...and if it ever got elevated to the Supreme Court...Fitz would end up in Gitmo....we still have no fucking idea how evil these people are and how far they will go....

[connecticut yankee]

34. Big Deal!

Bush will pardon him, anyway.

[American liberal]

35. No offense, but is that really the best Fitz can come up with? n/t

[young_at_heart]

37. What will happen if he gets away with it?

We will all be disgusted, but will the electorate finally be outraged?