Fitzgerald EXPANDs his office space in Washington

[Wordie]

Now why would he do that??? ;)

by Steven C. Clemons
October 26, 2005
New Information: First the Website, Now the New Office Space

<snip>
Patrick Fitzgerald's intermediaries denied that there was any significance to the establishment of a new website, minimalist as it is, for the Office of the Special Counsel which is investigating the "outing" of Valerie Plame Wilson's covert CIA responsibilities to the media. Fitzgerald's people said that the investigation coming to a close and the website going up was just coincidence.

Well, news has just reached TWN that Patrick Fitzgerald is expanding not only into a new website -- but also into more office space.

Fitzgerald's office is at 1400 New York Avenue, NW, 9th Floor in Washington. What I have learned is that the Office of the Special Counsel has signed a lease this week for expanded office space across the street at 1401 New York Avenue, NW.

Another coincidence? More office space needed to shut down the operation? I think not. Fitzgerald's operation is expanding.

-- Steve Clemons
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/

[Demobrat]

1. Yaaaaaay! That's the best news all day.

Look like he's planning on sticking around Washington for awhile.

[Wordie]

12. Yep! Though it really isn't anything concrete, it sure looks good! :)

[Bozita]

2. WOW! ... Champagne cork battle time

We can always buy more.

[eleny]

3. Maybe we're only seeing Phase 1!!!

[wordpix]

49. that's right: next phase is Bush, Rummy, Condileasta and Powell

So requests a coalition of 41 Dems in Congress with Maurice Hinchey of NY leading the charge. Did anyone see the Keith Olbermann piece on this last night? Hinchey was absolutely fantastic, charging BushCo with defrauding the Congress.

Go, Maurice, you're our man!

[deadparrot]

4. Does this mean we get to look forward to hearing Snotty McClellan repeat

"I'm not going to comment on an ongoing investigation" about 325392574986 more times?

[anitar1]

5. Yep, Little Scotty's job gets easier by the day.n/t

[Straight Shooter]

8. Did you just write a number that's in the brazillions?

:)

[deadparrot]

9. Well, the number is HUGH!!!!111

:)

[calimary]

39. Aw geez, guys. Come ON. Get series.

:P

[wryter2000]

40. Relax

Maybe the new space will have morels.

[deadparrot]

45. Oh, get off your high horse. You KNOW we have no morels.

;)

[readmoreoften]

51. You misspeld that.

It's you no we have know morels.

[fshrink]

6. He's gonna need the whole building!

[Straight Shooter]

7. Oh, yeah, bring it on, Fitz. BRING. IT. ON.

:woohoo:

[Wordie]

14. Maybe it was the letter from the House dems that requested expansion

of the investigation to look at the lies in the SOTU speech and other things said to congress to falsely justify the war.

GO Dems!

[Miss Chybil]

10. Are there any more Congressional recesses in the near future?

I'm sure Bush is going to want Harriet on the bench ASAP.

[EC]

11. He must be expecting a long trial...

or a lot of continuances...

[tulsakatz]

13. I'm watching Olbermann............

........and he talked to Jim Vandehei who said that he doesn't believe Fitzgerald is seeking another Grand Jury after this one expires. I know Vandehei has written a lot on this story and probably knows it better than anyone else. And he sounded so sure that the indictments would be known by Friday.

But still, if Fitz is increasing his office space in DC, he's doing it for a reason!!

On one hand, I can understand why they put the website up because he likes to announce his indictments there. But why would he increase his office space if he expects this to be over in 2 days?

[Wordie]

17. But Fitzgerald also has the option of extending the current grand jury.

And then there's the issue of TRIALS, isn't there? Even if the grand jury isn't needed anymore, if he brings indictments, wouldn't he be the one to try the case(s)?

Either way, this is great news, imho.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

27. Yes, he'd be the prosecuting attorney

That would be a big job requiring more more help one might think.

[Wordie]

42. Especially if there are LOTS of indictments, right? :)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

46. Right

I hope he's planning on a huge workload in his near future. :)

[DoYouEverWonder]

32. It not likely that he will extend this grand jury

because he's already extended this one once already.

[EmmaP]

43. Regular or Special?

Is this a regular grand jury or special grand jury?

[EmmaP]

44. Special

Nevermind. I found the answer. It's a special grand jury....which means it sits for 18 months. At the expiration of that 18 months, it can be extended for an additional 18 months...in three six-month installments.

[Seabiscuit]

55. It won't be over in 2 days - Fitz is getting ready for trial.

Why else would he expand his office space?

:bounce::woohoo:

[goforit]

15. The beat goes on.. .. ..the beat goes on... budup dup dup dup dup.. .. ..

deedeedeedeeeeeeeee.. .. .. ..
ladeedadeeda

DU needs to create a siging smilie-thon.

Gooooooo Fitz!!

[lovuian]

16. Whoo Hoo!!! Fitzy

Hope he gets a room with a view!!!

[savemefromdumbya]

18. id you see that someone tried to run over Steve

his website explains. hearsay = fitz is indicting but is going into phase 2 (extension) to nab those illegally going to war in iraq etc.

[Richard D]

19. That is exciting!

And very hopeful. He isn't going away any time soon.

[Historic NY]

20. Yup looks like he doesn't intend to fade into the sunset........

he is becoming the Repugs worst nightmare.

[Peace Patriot]

21. Nice find.

[grasswire]

22. someone hit this writer with a car today

Did you all hear that? The writer Steve Clemons was hit by a car.

Intimidation?

Hmm?

[grasswire]

23. trials in March, Cooper's lawyer said.

On MSNBC yesterday. He said that if there are to be trials, they'll probably happen in March.

[BeHereNow]

26. I JUST SAW THAT!!!

WTF?
Typical BFEE manuever-
Any questions?
Not here.
BHN

[EuroObserver]

31. Link for this?

Is this reported yet anywhere on the net?

cf. also Newsweek's Tom Masland (long-serving Africa/Mid East-specialist journalist recently appointed web site editor) HIT?: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x167850

ed: Ah, ok, I see it now (at original article link).

[QuettaKid]

36. Where did you hear this? source...? nt.

.

[peterh]

48. appears to be just an accident…link provided….

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/

First of all, for those of you who have heard that I was in a car accident last night -- thanks for your notes. I am ok. For those of you who did not know, I was hit by a car last night while walking in a crosswalk shortly after I filed this article with The Australian. It focuses on the Wilkerson speech and Scowcroft commentary and their collective impact on neoconservative ambitions.
The driver was a decent guy -- and didn't mean to do it -- but still, I had to spend about five and half hours at George Washington Hospital trying to get a CAT scan (however that is spelled) and make sure that my bones are intact. They are, but I'm sore.

[Carolab]

24. I wonder if he's hiring? n/t

[leftchick]

33. me too!

I would Pay him to hire me! I make great coffee! :)

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rucky]

30. The Australian seems to think he's reliable:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17044562%255E7583,00.html

and yes, it's a legit paper.

[Theduckno2]

28. Good news, if true.

Better news would be the expansion of Leavenworth, or better yet, the reopening of Alcatraz, in order to accommodate those that damaged national security. If I were the warden Alcatraz, I'd buy Rove a swimsuit, just hoping he'd make a swim for it!

And no, I don't REALLY want Alcatraz reopened.

[The Judged]

29. my 2 cents: WH has half-outed Cheney, Rove, and Libby ... <opinion>

Nearly all of the leaks we have digested over the past month have been carefully orchestrated by the WH as stage 1 of its multifaceted response to what are perceived as inevitable indictments for MANY (perhaps 20 persons, both in and under the control of the US Govt).

Knowing that Fitzgerald had closed in on the truth, and probably as a direct result of having advance knowledge of who directed Fitzgerald toward the truth and thus where Fitzgerald was liable to end up with his investigation, the WH has elected to ride the wave out as long as possible, using its traditional methods of media control, spin, and diversion.

The impending indictments will be fought and discredited vehemently by the GOP operatives who remain eager to maintain their strict control over the federal govt.

The WH chose to divulge the leaked information in order to soften the shock that could have ensued a surprise public enlightenment to so many startling charges and facts of evidence in a single swoop.

To be sure, the kindest possible spin for Cheney, Rove, and Libby was used in outing the leaked information, and the strategy has been to misrepresent facts so that the public shall be left with yet another wrong initial perception of the facts that Fitzgerald is expected to divulge soon.

In short, many average Americans have just taken the bait and are already convinced of very false information, so when the actual facts become available they will be hard to digest, because they conflict with the half-truths already firmly believed, and already working just as planned.

Lastly, there is already a poison pill (COST BENEFIT analysis used here), just in case the script gets flipped: the Religious Right!

It wasn't Neocons, after all, it was the Religious Right, right?

<opinion>

[cassiepriam]

35. Bingo. Yes WH spin machine has been hard at work.

[truthpusher]

34. New Information: First the Website, Now the New Office Space

from the Washington Note

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/

New Information: First the Website, Now the New Office Space
---------------



(snip)

Fitzgerald's people said that the investigation coming to a close and the website going up was just coincidence.

Well, news has just reached TWN that Patrick Fitzgerald is expanding not only into a new website -- but also into more office space.

Fitzgerald's office is at 1400 New York Avenue, NW, 9th Floor in Washington.

What I have learned is that the Office of the Special Counsel has signed a lease this week for expanded office space across the street at 1401 New York Avenue, NW.

Another coincidence? More office space needed to shut down the operation?

link: http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001033.html

[Orsino]

37. Now the 'Pugs can plant their bugs!

If i were Fitz, I'd be sweeping that place hourly.

[foreverdem]

38. He's not done

I don't think Fitz is done by any stretch. He's got bigger fish to fry and no doubt is chomping at the bit to get to the bottom of all of it.

[janx]

41. I so hope you're right.

It certainly does look that way!

[wordpix]

50. I agree, he will keep digging

Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and 40 others in Congress asked him to:

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny22_hinchey/morenews/102505fitzgeraldinvestigation.html

[MellowOne]

47. Encouraging

Indictments possible intended investigation....this is getting too good to be true!

[FrankBooth]

52. Story Retracted

Washington Note has now retracted this story.

Retraction: Sources on Office Expansion Wrong
Part of the process of reporting is doing the best one can do to source information, and seek double confirmation regarding stuff we post.

The source of mine in the real estate brokerage arena has called to retract information shared with me that the Office of the Special Counsel was expanding into 1401 New York Avenue. He states that "he just got it wrong."

In addition, the second source -- in the building -- says that he had a miscommunication with someone about this.

This was a flop. I believe in telling what I hear -- on both sides -- whether TWN got it right or wrong.

And in this case it was wrong.
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/


Are there any other sources for this besides Clemons?

[Wordie]

54. Darn...I have only found sources that quote this article.

But I suppose it is conceivable that the sources retracted not because it was not true, but because they were not supposed to release the info? Seems so coincidental that TWO sources had the same wrong information...

Nonetheless, as of now,the information has been retracted. :(

[Straight Shooter]

56. I feel like a frickin' yo-yo.

x(

[twaddler01]

53. I'm starting to like this guy

:bounce:

[maddezmom]

57. locking, retraction at Wasington Note

Retraction: Sources on Office Expansion Wrong
Part of the process of reporting is doing the best one can do to source information, and seek double confirmation regarding stuff we post.

The source of mine in the real estate brokerage arena has called to retract information shared with me that the Office of the Special Counsel was expanding into 1401 New York Avenue. He states that "he just got it wrong."

In addition, the second source -- in the building -- says that he had a miscommunication with someone about this.

This was a flop. I believe in telling what I hear -- on both sides -- whether TWN got it right or wrong.

And in this case it was wrong.

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/