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Prosecutor, judge in CIA leak probe meet
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-27 08:37
The prosecutor in the CIA leak probe set the stage Wednesday for possible
criminal charges, meeting with the grand jury that heard months of testimony and
then consulting with the chief judge at the courthouse where the legal drama has
unfolded.
The White House braced for at least one indictment by week's end, possibly
Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. It also
was worried that President Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, remained in
jeopardy of being charged with false statements.
Rove awaited final word Wednesday evening about his fate, though his
supporters were concerned about a personal visit Special Prosecutor Patrick
Fitzgerald paid to Rove's defense lawyer and a last-minute interview with one of
Rove's former colleagues.
FBI agents working for Fitzgerald checked facts this week that could be used
in a case, including whether Rove made any comments to that former colleague
about his contact with one of the reporters who disclosed that Bush
administration critic Joseph Wilson's wife worked as an undercover CIA officer.
Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, right,
leaves the federal courthouse Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005 in Washington after
meeting for three hours with the federal grand jury investigating the leak
of a CIA officer's identity.[AP] | Though
Fitzgerald met with Rove attorney Robert Luskin at a private law firm office
Tuesday, there was no indication of a final decision on an indictment.
Fitzgerald was appointed nearly two years ago to determine whether any
presidential aides violated a federal law prohibiting the intentional unmasking
of an undercover CIA officer such as Valerie Plame. Her identity was divulged in
July 2003 after her husband publicly criticized the administration over its use
of prewar Iraq intelligence.
The prosecutor also has discussed other charges with defense lawyers in
recent weeks, including false statements, obstruction of justice and mishandling
of classified information. Libby and Rove have emerged as two of the key figures
in the probe.
The grand jury's term expires on Friday, and the panel
met with Fitzgerald's team for about three hours Wednesday before adjourning for
the day. The administrative assistant to Thomas Hogan, the chief judge of U.S.
District Court in the nation's capital, disclosed that Hogan met with
Fitzgerald. The assistant, Sheldon Snook, declined to comment on what was
discussed.
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