Newsweek: Karl Rove: Last Minute Evidence

Nov. 7, 2005 issue - Special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's decision not to indict deputy White House chief of staff Karl Rove in the CIA leak case followed a flurry of last-minute negotiations between the prosecutor and Rove's defense lawyer, Robert Luskin. On Tuesday afternoon, Fitzgerald and the chief FBI agent on the case, Jack Eckenrode, visited the offices of the D.C. law firm where Luskin works to meet with the defense lawyer. Two sources close to Rove who asked not to be identified because the probe is ongoing said Luskin presented evidence that gave the prosecutor "pause." One small item was a July 11, 2003, e-mail Rove sent to former press aide Adam Levine saying Levine could come up to his office to discuss a personnel issue. The e-mail was at 11:17 a.m., minutes after Rove had gotten off the phone with Matt Cooper—the same conversation (in which White House critic Joe Wilson's wife's work for the CIA was discussed) that Rove originally failed to disclose to the grand jury. Levine, with whom Rove often discussed his talks with reporters, did immediately go up to see Rove. But as Levine told the FBI last week, Rove never said anything about Cooper. The Levine talk was arguably helpful to one of Luskin's arguments: that, as a senior White House official, Rove dealt with a wide range of matters and might not remember every conversation he has had with journalists. In any case, Fitzgerald made another visit early Friday morning—shortly before the grand jury voted to indict Dick Cheney's top aide, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby—to the office of James Sharp, President George W. Bush's own lawyer in the case, to tell him the president's closest aide would not be charged. Rove remains in some jeopardy, but the consensus view of lawyers close to the case is that he has probably dodged the bullet.


Continued at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9865842/site/newsweek/

Given his track record of deceit and character assassination, I believe he knew exactly what he was doing, but Fitz may not have enough to finger the bastage.

I read where Levin is a good personal friend of Fitz's. That couldn't have hurt Rove's case.

What Rove & Cooper talked about & whether Rove talked to Levine about it immediately thereafter is but a drop in the bucket. What's more this is a variation of the "busy executive/failure of memory" defense that Libby's lawyers are floating & that most everyone thinks won't fly.

lawyer is just trying to make it sound like Rove got off the hook offering last minute evidence exculpating himself.

Not buying the LIES they are peddling.

All we need to know is this is Rove's lawyer giving us info designed to disinform us.

but it bought Rove time to figure out his strategy and to get the spin out to the freepers and stenographers.

Until Fitzgerald indicted Libby on Friday, no one knew which direction this would go in. Now we know that Fitzgerald is going to take this case wherever it leads him and he doesn't blink at the thought of putting these bastards in jail.

This is like a chess game. Rove moved a pawn, to block getting checkmated. That will piss off Fitzgerald even more because we all know he does not like obstruction of justice.

bullshit on this explanation. I Find it curious that Fitz could have already obtained a sealed indictment before Friday. The only people who would know would have been Fitz, the GJ and the Judge, and remember Fitz and the Judge had that 45 minute meeting which could have been about that or anything else. This also allows for Fitz to issue an the indictment no matter what phase he is in(like if the next GJ is not picked yet). Either way yes Rove did move his pawn. Now we will have to see what kind of time it bought him and we will also get see what move Fitz will go with next. If you see him moving that Knight around on the board then don't be surprised that a sealed indictment doesn't pop out and onto Rove's butt.


Is this a plausible scenario?:think:

he can go to any grand jury in DC that is already seated and that is what he said he will do.

allow him some flexibility. Whatever information was exchanged in the meeting between Luskin and Fitz would not allowed for Fitz to have enough time to investigate the claims before Firday, but enough to give him pause to not publicly indict Rove but to secure a sealed one so that he can investigate whatever Luskin exchanged with Fitz last week. Then if need be after the proper investigation of the information that Luskin passed over, Fitz will be able move ahead without wasting anymore time. This scenerio will work even if there is another GJ getting caught up to speed.

Who? Roves lawyers?

I agree, it sounds like a drop in the bucket but I am certainly no expert.

attributed to "sources close to Rove". Now tell me, why would Fitz pay a personal visit to Bush's attorney to tell him that Rove would not be charged? Wouldn't he visit Luskin instead? Does he not have a cell phone? Or why not send someone that the press would not recognize? Unless you wanted to be seen at the pResident's attorney's office? No, I think someone is trying to lead people off the track. IMO Fitz went to Sharp's office for another reason. What that reason is, I don't know, but, I would suspect, he was picking something up he wanted.

so long as as you deal with many issues on a daily basis you are allowed to out a CIA agent? MAKES NO SENSE!

Evidence like the e-mail certainly does not really prove anything. Fitz probably realizes that too.

However, he is trying to stick to the letter of the law, and not overreach beyond what he believes is provable evidence. That is admirable, and as it should be.

However, it also means that a lot of people like Rove will skate away on technicalities.

Lady Justice wields a double edged sword.

"Rove remains in some jeopardy, but the consensus view of lawyers close to the case is that he has probably dodged the bullet."

attempt at image control. Rove escaped indictment but is still in the WH. You BET they're trying to rationalize why noone is being fired right now.

Doesn't mean it is a lawyer that has a client in this case.

Fitz is either going to charge Rove with multiple counts or get him to
sing like a birdie ......

Rove sent an e mail so he couldn't have outed Plame please attorney
Luskin use that defense. It is air tight.

Fitzgerald would never go to Bush's lawyer to discuss Rove or any other target. Fitzgerald would only talk to Rove's lawyer about Rove and Bush's lawyer about Bush.

This writer has got a good case of runaway imagination, with a side of BushCo propaganda for seasoning.

I suggest it is an impossibility that F went and discussed any case specifics with a quarry's lawyer. As for knowing Levin, an attorney of stature knows many, many people, so it is likely they did know each other. Long lost soulmates? Unlikely.

And why would Fitzgerald go to them? I think it would be up to them to come to Fitzgerald's office.

Since Fitzgerald is the acting Attorney General in this case, the only one over him is the POTUS and in this case the POTUS has to recuse himself. However, Fitzgerald still respects the office of the presidency, so it would be appropriate for him to personally let the POTUS know that a member of his staff was indicted.

delivered the message some other way without offending people. This is a guy lives off of microwave pizza because he is so obessed with his work.

Sounds like spinning to avoid speculation about Bush. Can't remember if I read the story about Fitz' visit to Bush's lawyer yesterday or Friday, but it sure didn't take long for an explanation to come along. The rest of the story is old news. Sorta seems like the point of this story was to get the Bush lawyer spin out there.

Rove is back in the saddle!

For Luskin to present an email requesting that a press aide stop by the Rove's office as proof that Rove didn't out Plame, is the definition of flimsy. I seriously doubt such a transparently bogus ruse gave Fitgerald "pause," and that Rove is in the clear.

*edited for pre-caffeinated spelling errors*

who is to say that Levine wasn't lying or that Levine isn't the one with memory failure?

Luskin provided to Fitz was not to show that Rove did not reveal the identity of a undercover CIA agent, it was to show that when Rove testified in the Grand Jury and said he did not talk to Cooper it was because he is a person who deals with many matters in the WH on a daily basis and so he wa not intentionally giving bad info to the jury.

I DON'T BUY IT BUT IT LOOKS LIKE FITZ IS :-(

It may have just given him pause. The fact that Fitz was probably going to indict Rove seems very positive and if the only thing holding him back is an e-mail that showed Rove was busy seems week.

Fitz pause at all.

I mean if my son steals from a store and when he gets home calls a friend and does not tell him, that means my son is innocent? This is obsurd.

Fitz should have laughed in Luskin's face and indicted that asshole right on the spot!

You did a nice job expressing how silly it sounds.

my favotrite paragraphs...

....Which makes me wonder how Rove--politically, I should think, radioactive at this point--is still working at the White House. Does anyone think Bush is letting Rove work for him while not knowing whether Rove is simultaneously ratting him out to the grand jury? Of course not. In the grown-up world which most of us inhabit, Rove is giving the President daily briefings on every little thing he and his attorney are saying to the grand jury and to Patrick Fitzgerald.

And how awkward is that?

Bush interrogating Rove on what Rove told the grand jury about Bush?

You have to wonder how long it will last.

You have to wonder, moreover, just how sick Bush's relationship with Rove is.

Make no mistake (to again use a phrase once so favored by this President): Rove is to Bush as a drug-dealer is to an addict, as a pimp is to a whore, as a blackmailer is to a blackmailee, as a bondsman is to a criminal, as a ruler-wielding nun is to a recalcitrant Catholic schoolgirl.

The two are not friends.

Rove is merely the latest and most dire of a series of parasites who've made their home on Bush's hairy ass. Others include Iraq's dissident pathological liar, Chalabi; Tom DeLay; Bill Frist; James Dobson; and The Devil.

...it was incredibly helpful.

The article made me think twice about the relationship between Junior and Rove.

They might not be as thick as many assume.

Junior is a petulant child. Rove is his brain. I'm sure there are moments when Junior becomes resentful of the fact that he needs someone thinking for him 24/7. After all, Bush doesn't like to feel controlled by anyone. Look what he did to conservative hardliners with the Miers nomination. That was a "screw you, neocons!" nomination. I imagine that Bush sometimes doesn't treat Rove well--gets defensive, acts out, etc.

The author is right...their relationship is similar to a pimp-prostitute scenario. Bush needs Rove, but he may detest that need.

Maybe Rove would be more willing than Libby to roll over.

So much to think about...

"One small item was a July 11, 2003, e-mail Rove sent to former press aide Adam Levine saying Levine could come up to his office to discuss a personnel issue."

It seems to me an enumeration that begs other items, as is in "one small item. . . other items included "or perhaps "the other item was."

Remember we are given this evidence by Rove's legal team. They want to minimize the appearance that Rove did anything wrong.

I am left wondering what other item(s) of evidence might there be, and since they weren't reported maybe they are less favorable to Rove.

was really about. Do we KNOW it was unrelated to Plame? (does Fitz know, that is) It probably has no relevance, but just got my curiosity going.

The "because I deal with so much, I forgot" excuse just doesn't seem credible. These guy are where they are in no small part BECAUSE they are able to be on top of so much at one time.

i don't quite get the mitigation... :shrug:

but certainly doesn't seem to me to be an "indictment saver".

he's willing to clear Rove because of some flimsy email? this is ridiculous.

That email isn't proof of anything.

Just because Rove sent an email to Luskin, asking to speak about a personal matter---does not mean that they didn't discuss Plame. There's no evidence that he DIDN'T discuss Plame.

Maybe Fitz decided that if he held out indicting Rove on small stuff--that he may be able to get him on bigger stuff a bit later (or get him to squeal on senior officials). If Rove is SO DESPERATE to avoid indictment--that he's revealing information that is flimsy (and borderline absurd), possibly Fitzgerald smells weakness in Rove. Maybe he's seeing that Rove is scared and may be willing to give up more information.

You didn't see Libby scrambling, with worthless emails in hand, begging Fitzgerald, "Don't send me up the river, Pat!!! Ya gotta believe me!!!" Rove is doing just that.

Maybe Rove is caving.

After the way that analysis/article explained the Rove/Bush dysfunctional relationship---I'm wondering if Rove will roll. He's got children. Accounts of his non-work personality--describe a man who is devoted to his kids. Maybe he's not as willing as Libby to sit in the pen for a few years.

Just thinkin! :)

Fitz reminds me of my cat playing with a mouse...he slaps it around for a while, pounces on it, throws it across the room a couple of times, and then goes in for the kill.

why? It's idiotic, far better to have said nothing and let the public believe Fitzgerald didn't have enough to indict.

Honestly, I don't understand how this (if false) benefits Rove.

whether he revealed Plame to Novak? If so and he denied it to the grand jury then we have perjury....so why the hold by Fitz on Rove?

i just don't get it!

Because Rove talked to somebody on the phone 11 minutes after he outed a CIA agent he's to be forgiven?

Fitzgerald is sounding more like a boob to me every day.

him that Rove wouldn't be indicted? Sharp doesn't represent Rove.
Why would Monkey's lawyer even be involved in this? It doesn't concern him. This is a bullsh*t story. They know Fitzpatrick isn't talking, so they can pretty much say what they want.
Even the way this bit of information was jammed into the story looks suspicious. Why would you add "in any case" with an explanation as to why Fitzgerald went to visit Sharp to the end of the story? It had nothing to do with the story. It needed to be added for one reason, to deflect questions about the visit by Fitzpatrick to Monkey's personal attorney who was hired specifically to represent
Der Monkey in the leak case.