Rove Could Be in Legal Jeopardy "Indefinitely"

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 1:27pm

Snippet:

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Even if Fitzgerald concludes in the near future that he does not have sufficient evidence to charge Rove, the special prosecutor would not rule out bringing charges at a later date and would not finish his inquiry on Rove until he hears whatever information Libby might provide -- either incriminating or exculpatory -- on Rove's role, the sources said....

Fitzgerald did not seek an indictment of Rove, opting to present any potential new evidence on the White House deputy chief of staff to a new grand jury. In recent days, Fitzgerald has reinterviewed several witnesses with knowledge of Rove's role in the Plame leak and talked with attorneys of other potential witnesses.

The ongoing investigation means that Rove's legal status is likely to remain up in the air until the final disposition of Libby's case. That could be two years from now, or even longer. Rove's predicament contradicts recent news accounts indicating that Fitzgerald will conclude his probe of Rove in the near future.

Rove and the White House had hoped that President Bush's most important political adviser was out of legal jeopardy when the Libby indictment was announced on October 28, and that the political fallout from the CIA leak scandal would recede with the expiration of the grand jury's term. That no longer appears to be the case.

Friends of Rove now bemoan that he will be under a cloud for the indefinite future, even though he might ultimately be cleared. "Karl's name has clearly been dragged through the mud," said Republican operative Grover Norquist. "But what happens if it turns out there is no there there? No one is going to devote one-hundredth of ink to his exoneration, if there is one."...

Rove's situation is further complicated by the length of time it might take for Fitzgerald to learn what Libby might have to say about Rove. At Libby's arraignment in federal court on November 4, his attorneys told the judge that it is almost certain that the litigation will be "protracted," not only on evidentiary matters but also on the use of classified information.
Libby Testimony Is Key To Rove Inquiry

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 1:35pm

"Karl's name has clearly been dragged through the mud..."

Wow, that must be really hard for him. I bet you it's the sort of thing that crazy ex-prisoner of war senator with the colored children would seize on and exploit if he had any testicles.

[lildogs]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 3:00pm

Karl is merely reaping all the seeds of hate, suspicion and hypocrisy he has spent years sowing--why should anyone be kind to him in the press?

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 3:05pm

Yeah, it's SERIOUSLY ironic to hear people imply that Karl Rove has been slandered or treated unfairly when he himself is the master of political dirty tricks.

[lildogs]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 3:28pm

You should read Bush's transcript on nytimes.com if you want a real laugh--there's so much hypocrisy it's unbelievable--I guess he thinks the vets are too deaf to know the difference.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 3:43pm

Republicans are fun when they unravel. Yeah! They are!

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 11/11/05 at 3:50pm

I love rich white men talking about sacrafice. And, isn't it interesting that Cheney is once again doing the President's job:

"Dick Cheney spoke at Arlington National Cemetery, where the president traditionally goes on Veterans Day.

Cheney laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and told a crowd of about 6,000 at the cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater that U.S. forces have toppled two dictatorships and liberated 50 million people.

"Difficult missions are still to come and we cannot know every turn that lies ahead," he said. "Yet we can be certain that by the resolve of our country, by the rightness of our cause...we will prevail."

Dick, there is no "we" in anything you have done, only "me".
Bush Forcefully Attacks Iraq Critics