Posted by Mark Silva at 4:30 pm CDT
Karl Rove, the president’s chief political adviser, today made his fifth appearance before a federal grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA agent’s identity in 2003.
Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, the Chicago-based U.S. attorney running the investigation, has advised Rove that he is not a target of the investigation, according to Rove’s attorney, Robert Luskin.
Fitzgerald also has made no decision concerning new charges, according to Luskin, who issued a written statement on Rove’s behalf.
Since the indictment of Lewis “Scooter’’ Libby, the vice president’s former chief of staff, on charges of obstruction of justice in the investigation last year, Fitzgerald has pursued the question of who told news reporters of the identity of Valerie Plame, a CIA agent married to Joseph Wilson, the former ambassador who investigated claims that Iraq was attempting to procure uranium from Africa for nuclear weapons. Wilson, who discredited the the claim, later accused the Bush administration of manipulating pre-war intelligence before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Both Libby and Rove have been identified as sources by reporters who wrote about or knew about Plame’s identity in the summer of 2003. But lawyers for both have maintained they did not identify Plame.
Libby, who resigned after his indictment, faces trial on charges of lying to the Grand Jury and obstruction of justice.
Rove, one of the president’s deputy chiefs of staff, recently was relieved of day-to-day oversight of policy matters in the White House to focus on “big-picture’’ strategy, including the 2006 midterm elections.
“Karl Rove appeared today before the Grand Jury investigating the disclosure of a CIA agent's identity,’’ his lawyer, Luskin, said in a statement released today.
“He testified voluntarily and unconditionally at the request of Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to explore a matter raised since Mr. Rove's last appearance in October 2005. In connection with this appearance, the special counsel has advised Mr. Rove that he is not a target of the investigation.
“Mr. Fitzgerald has affirmed that he has made no decision concerning charges,’’ Luskin said. “At the request of the special counsel, Mr. Rove will not discuss the substance of his testimony."
White House spokesman Scott McClellan also said today that the White House would not comment on Rove’s Grand Jury appearance.
“I have no new information on that matter,’’ said McClellan, who is nearing the end of his service as press secretary next week. “Even if I did have new information, I wouldn't be in position to share it with you, as you know.
“There's a policy we have in this administration,’’ said McClellan – that would be a White House policy of not commenting on the investigation. “That policy hasn't changed.’’
Karl Rove, the president’s chief political adviser, today made his fifth appearance before a federal grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA agent’s identity in 2003.
Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, the Chicago-based U.S. attorney running the investigation, has advised Rove that he is not a target of the investigation, according to Rove’s attorney, Robert Luskin.
Fitzgerald also has made no decision concerning new charges, according to Luskin, who issued a written statement on Rove’s behalf.
Since the indictment of Lewis “Scooter’’ Libby, the vice president’s former chief of staff, on charges of obstruction of justice in the investigation last year, Fitzgerald has pursued the question of who told news reporters of the identity of Valerie Plame, a CIA agent married to Joseph Wilson, the former ambassador who investigated claims that Iraq was attempting to procure uranium from Africa for nuclear weapons. Wilson, who discredited the the claim, later accused the Bush administration of manipulating pre-war intelligence before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Both Libby and Rove have been identified as sources by reporters who wrote about or knew about Plame’s identity in the summer of 2003. But lawyers for both have maintained they did not identify Plame.
Libby, who resigned after his indictment, faces trial on charges of lying to the Grand Jury and obstruction of justice.
Rove, one of the president’s deputy chiefs of staff, recently was relieved of day-to-day oversight of policy matters in the White House to focus on “big-picture’’ strategy, including the 2006 midterm elections.
“Karl Rove appeared today before the Grand Jury investigating the disclosure of a CIA agent's identity,’’ his lawyer, Luskin, said in a statement released today.
“He testified voluntarily and unconditionally at the request of Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to explore a matter raised since Mr. Rove's last appearance in October 2005. In connection with this appearance, the special counsel has advised Mr. Rove that he is not a target of the investigation.
“Mr. Fitzgerald has affirmed that he has made no decision concerning charges,’’ Luskin said. “At the request of the special counsel, Mr. Rove will not discuss the substance of his testimony."
White House spokesman Scott McClellan also said today that the White House would not comment on Rove’s Grand Jury appearance.
“I have no new information on that matter,’’ said McClellan, who is nearing the end of his service as press secretary next week. “Even if I did have new information, I wouldn't be in position to share it with you, as you know.
“There's a policy we have in this administration,’’ said McClellan - that would be a White House policy of not commenting on the investigation. “That policy hasn't changed.’’
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Comments
Mark Silva writes:"...Fitzgerald has pursued the question of who told news reporters of the identity of Valerie Plame, a CIA agent married to Joseph Wilson, the former ambassador who investigated claims that Iraq was attempting to procure uranium from Africa for nuclear weapons. Wilson, who discredited the the claim, later accused the Bush administration of manipulating pre-war intelligence before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq."
Let us review:
1. "Valerie Plame, a CIA agent...":
False. CIA officials in the CIA's Directorate of Operations are "officers" not "agents". CIA officers recruit "agents".
2. "...Joseph Wilson, the former ambassador who investigated claims that Iraq was ATTEMPTING to procure uranium from Africa for nuclear weapons. Wilson, who DISCREDITED the...claim, ..."[emphasis mine]:
False. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Report, Conclusion 13: "The report on the former ambassador's trip to Niger, disseminated in March 2002, did not change any analysts' assessments of the Iraq-Niger uranium deal. For most analysts, the information in the report lent more credibility to the original Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports on the uranium deal, but State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) analysts believed that the report supported their assessment that Niger was unlikely to be willing or able to sell uranium to Iraq." [SSCI report, page 73, July 2004]Specifically, regarding Iraq's "attempt" to purchase uranium. The SSCI report page 44: "The [CIA's] intelligence report [on Wilson's March 2002 CIA interview]...did not refute the possibility that Iraq had approached Niger to purchase uranium."
Finally, readers of this journalist work will not be surprised by these errors. Mr. Silva is the same journalist who wrote over 1,000 words on the "Libby Leak" [Chicago Tribune, "Libby says Bush OKd leak on Iraq", April 7, 2006] and forgot to mention a central fact. The article explained that:
"Libby spoke with New York Times reporter Judith Miller as a confidential source "only after the vice president advised [Libby] that the president specifically had authorized [Libby] to disclose certain information in the NIE [National Intelligence Estimate]," the filing says. Vice President Dick Cheney called it "very important" for "key judgments" of that intelligence to "come out," serving as a "pretty definitive" counterattack to Wilson's criticism. Libby "understood that he was to tell the reporter, among other things, that a key judgment of the NIE held that Iraq was `vigorously trying to procure' uranium," the filing says." [Silva, 4/17/2006]
Silva somehow forgot to include that Bush *publicly* released these NIE "Key Judgments" and NIE "uranium quotes" 10 days after Libby's conversation with Miller. Readers had to read other sources that day for the proper context on the Libby disclosure.
Question for Tribune editors: How many errors do you expect your readers to tolerant before we judge your journalists as less than credible sources of information?
Posted by: Chicago Station | April 27, 2006 2:23 PM
“There’s a policy we have in this administration” “That policy hasn’t changed”
Sounds like the same old line of bull that this administration will be remembered for in the history books. Lie till you get caught, then, blame it on a democrat. It seems ironic that Rove would have to use the same tactic to defend himself as he has to defend the Bush administration.
Posted by: Rory M | April 27, 2006 2:27 PM
Good post Chicago Station. I've been trying to lay out the same things...but of course you get the same conspiracy theories and left wing folklore in reply. I didn't even see "the Swamp" report Fitzgerald's correction about the "key judgements" On top of it, someone at the Trib wrote an editorial blasting Cheney over this....all while the Fitzgerald correction diproved the editorial's main premise..... and not a peep from the Tribune about the correction.
The left should start holding media outlets accountable for yelling fire in a crowded movie house. Of course they won't. They don't even see it. As the saying goes: "you can bring a horse to water....."
Posted by: JD | April 27, 2006 6:01 PM