As he concludes his investigation into the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame, Special Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald is focusing on whether senior White House advisor Karl Rove, and Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, sought to conceal their actions and mislead prosecutors, lawyers involved in the case
told the
New York Times.
Among the charges that Fitzgerald is considering are perjury
, obstruction of justice and false statement -- counts that suggest the prosecutor may believe the evidence presented in a 22-month grand jury inquiry shows that the two White House aides sought to cover up their actions, the lawyers said. There may be others in the government who
could be charged for violations of the disclosure law or of other statutes, like the espionage act, which makes it a crime to transmit classified information to people not authorized to receive it.
Rove and Libby have been advised that they may be in
serious legal jeopardy, the lawyers said. Some lawyers in the case said they were persuaded that Fitzgerald had all but made up his mind to seek indictments.
A perjury charge against Rove stems from him initially not telling the grand jury he talked to <em>Time</em> magazine reporter Matt Cooper about Plame. Rove only recalled the conversation after the discovery of an e-mail message he sent to Stephen Hadley, then the deputy national security adviser.
Larry Johnson, a former CIA agent who trained with Plame and has aggressively criticized the Bush Administration via his blog,
posted earlier this week that Hadley also is facing indictment.
"Hadley has told friends he expects to be indicted," Johnson wrote.
***
The possible violations under consideration are peripheral to the issue Fitzgerald was appointed in December 2003 to investigate: whether anyone in the administration broke a federal law that makes it a crime, under certain circumstances, to reveal the identity of a covert intelligence officer.
It is still not publicly known who first told the columnist Robert D. Novak the identity of the CIA officer, Valerie Wilson. Novak identified her in a column on July 14, 2003, using her unmarried name, Valerie Plame.
While Fitzgerald could still charge administration officials with knowingly revealing Plame's identity, several lawyers in the case said he was more likely to seek charges for easier-to-prove crimes such as making false statements, obstruction of justice and disclosing classified information. He may also bring a broad conspiracy charge, lawyers
told Reuters.
***
Still, the
Washington Post reports that the White House is already quietly confronting the looming prospect of a Bush presidency without Rove, his long-time senior advisor.
Initially, the administration plans to undertake
a spin campaign. Senior GOP officials are developing a
public relations strategy to defend those accused of crimes and, more importantly,
shield Bush from further damage, Republicans familiar with the plans told the
Post.
Additionally, the White House is already considering how it would fill the gap that would be created if Rove were to resign, although a Republican with close ties to the White House told the
Post, "Anyone who talks about that kind of stuff should be shot."
Names apparently already under consideration are budget director Joshua B. Bolten, former Republican National Committe chairman Ed Gillespie or current party chairman Ken Mehlman.
***
This item first appeared at
Journalists Against Bush's B.S.
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