WSJ: Fitzgerald's pursuit, he may be investigating broader conspiracy

[G_j]

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/10/11/2108/1714/242#242

Focus of CIA Leak Probe
Appears to Widen

By JOHN D. MCKINNON, JOE HAGAN and ANNE MARIE SQUEO
Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
October 12, 2005


<snip>
Ms. Miller, the Times reporter, was interviewed again yesterday to discuss conversations she had with I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the vice president's chief of staff. ... her lawyers have told Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor investigating the leak of the CIA agent's identity, that Ms. Miller's notes show that she also spoke with Mr. Libby in late June, information that was not previously given to the grand jury.

Mr. Fitzgerald's pursuit now suggests he might be investigating not a narrow case on the leaking of the agent's name, but perhaps a broader conspiracy.

***

Until now, Mr. Fitzgerald appeared to be focusing on conversations between White House officials such as Mr. Libby and Karl Rove, President Bush's senior political adviser, after Mr. Wilson wrote his op-ed. The defense by Republican operatives has been that White House officials didn't name Ms. Plame, and that any discussion of her was in response to reporters' questions about Mr. Wilson, the kind of casual banter that occurs between sources and reporters.

Mr. Rove, who has already testified three times before the grand jury and was identified by a Time magazine reporter as a source for his story on Mr. Wilson, is expected to go back to the grand jury, potentially as early as today, to clarify earlier answers.

Lawyers familiar with the investigation believe that at least part of the outcome likely hangs on the inner workings of what has been dubbed the White House Iraq Group. Formed in August 2002, the group, which included Messrs. Rove and Libby, worked on setting strategy for selling the war in Iraq to the public in the months leading up to the March 2003 invasion.

**
<snip>

[crispini]

1. Oooo! Oooo! I hadn't known this part:

Given that the grand jury is set to expire on Oct. 28, it is possible charges in this case could come as early as next week. Former federal prosecutors say it is traditional not to wait for the last minute and run the risk of not having enough jurors to reach a quorum. There are 23 members of a grand jury, and 16 are needed for a quorum before any indictments could be voted on. This grand jury has traditionally met on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Now we know when to get all excited!

Wednesday the 19th
Friday the 21st

Hoboy!

[H2O Man]

2. Kind of nice,

isn't it? It is interesting to watch the reaction of thugs like Sean Hannity, who has been told of at least two people who are being indicted. His level of frustration has turned to rage -- gosh, Sean a raging fool?

[Demobrat]

3. Been told?

What do you mean? How do you know? Details! Details!

[crispini]

4. There's going to be a whole lot of wingers' heads exploding.

:evilgrin:

It's beginning to look a lot like Fitz-mas....!

[TNOE]

6. EEEeeekkkkkkk

Oh man H20 - how on earth do you watch Sean Hannity - makes my skin crawl - more power to you - but I can't do it. But - once this breaks - I think I'll be tuning in to him & Bill O'Lielly just for laughs - to see their righteous outrage and their heads exploding - and hopefully their careers too - nobody is going to want to watch or listen to outright liars anymore.

Maybe I'm just dreaming - but I for one and hoping that 9/11 (MIHOP) is going to come out in all of this too - you know therea re those in the media and government that know - and I heard last night on Hardball (I think) that the only case Fitzgerald lost was something to do with a shiek relating to 9/11 financing - not very clear on the story at all - but apparently there was a "sealed" envelope and the guy did wind up in jail. Didn't know a thing about this - and I may not have all my facts straight - but I for one am really really hoping all the treason committed by this bunch is brought out in the open. And I hope Fitzgerald has round the clock bodyguards - and stays out of airplanes. I can't believe they haven't offed this guy - which is their SOP.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. Brewster Jennings was in my opinion the real target of the Plame outing.

Brewster Jenning was investigating money ties to Saudi banks which included terrorist financing and WMDs. Prior to this investigation, Fitzgerald worked on a case trying to tie terrorist funding to Al Qaeda, and he also successfully prosecuted the blind sheik and indicted Osama.

I think that Fitzgerald is connecting all the dots, and when the indictments come out, America will be reeling from it.

[Beetwasher]

7. Fitz Is Taking A Bite Out of the WHOLE ENCHILADA!!!

Yeah baby! He's tapping into the motherload here!

Oh, this is gonna be good! I feel it in my bones!