REPORT: ROVE RECEIVED TARGET LETTER...UPDATED - (Jason Leopold)

[kpete]

http://www.rawstory.com/

UPDATE

Target Letter Drives Rove Back to Grand Jury
By Jason Leopold
t r u t h o u t | Issue

Wednesday 26 April 2006

Karl Rove's appearance before a grand jury in the CIA leak case Wednesday comes on the heels of a "target letter" sent to his attorney recently by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, signaling that the Deputy White House Chief of Staff may face imminent indictment, sources that are knowledgeable about the probe said Wednesday.

It's unclear when Fitzgerald sent the target letter to Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin. Sources close to the two-year-old leak investigation said when Rove's attorney received the letter Rove volunteered to appear before the grand jury for an unprecedented fifth time to explain why he did not previously disclose conversations he had with the media about covert CIA operative Valerie Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who criticized the Bush administration's use of pre-war Iraq intelligence.

A federal grand jury target letter is sent to a person in a criminal investigation who is likely to be indicted. A "target" of a grand jury investigation is a person who a prosecutor has substantial evidence to link to a crime.

Last week, Rove was stripped of some of his policy duties in a White House shakeup orchestrated by incoming Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten. The White House insisted that Rove was not demoted, but insiders said the executive branch is bracing for a possible indictment against Rove.

Luskin was accompanying Rove to US District Court in Washington, DC, Wednesday morning and unavailable for comment. Rove was told by Fitzgerald's staff that his testimony could last for as long as three hours.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042606I.shtml

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. May I be the first to say

Yes!!!

[Roland99]

3. Seconded!

[Dr. Death]

10. OK there goes the rest of my afternoon...

Pleae, please, please.....

[Joe Fields]

147. After Rove is indicted, , as Bill Goldberg used to say, "Who's Next?"

[Scout1071]

2. Hee-hee-hee.

Love it! Can't wait to see the frog march.

[emulatorloo]

4. Am looking forward to a David Schuster report - my Tivo is armed and ready

thanks for the raw teaser. . . .

[npincus]

5. Holy f*cking shit!

excuse me.

[H2O Man]

61. Things are good. n/t

[senseandsensibility]

6. kick

and in the meantime I'd love to hear what some of you who have been following this much more stringently than I have think of this. Big, right?:-)

[babylonsister]

23. Real big! Per Lawrence O'Donnell:

Lawrence O'Donnell: "Who Asked Rove To Return To The Grand Jury?"

O'Donnell thinks that if Rove asked to testify today it means he's about to be indicted. And, if Fitz called him to testify it means the prosecutor doesn't have enough to indict. O'Donnell ends with "word on the street" in Washington is that Rove asked to testify again, ergo indictment may be imminent.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-odonnell/who-ask...

[senseandsensibility]

43. So the target letter is what has sent rover

scurrying over there? He knows he will probably be indicted and is trying to save himself? It seems like this happened before.:shrug: That being said, I am optimistic.:bounce:

[babylonsister]

49. I'm also optimistic; Fitz is very methodical.

Did Rove receive a target letter prior to this?

[senseandsensibility]

76. I seem to remember rumors that he did

and then he went in to Fitzgerald and convinced him not to file charges, right? That was a few months ago. He was supposedly off the hook (according to the corporate "journalists) at that time. The target letter back then was never substantiated as far as I can recall.

[tulsakatz]

93. Rove was never off the hook.....

Fitzgerald has always made it clear that he is still investigating Rove even though he has not formally indicted him.

Anyone who assumed that Rove was off the hook was clearly mistaken.

[senseandsensibility]

94. ah, but the corporate "journalists" are often "mistaken".

Sure, that's what they are. Mistaken.

[DoYouEverWonder]

129. All Rove did was throw a monkey wrench into things

in order to postpone his own fate. The prosecutor had no choice but to give him the benefit of the doubt. Of course, stunts like that don't go over well with prosecutors, so Rove is between a rock and a hard place at this point, which is right where he belongs.

[aquart]

151. Official "A".

[tulsakatz]

156. exactly!

Fitz always nails official A in the end..........

[AuntiBush]

145. How did that ole' childhood saying go...

"Red Rove(r), red Rove(r), roll-over Red-Rove-r!"

Could it be... :popcorn:

[dave29]

7. peeing myself

damn, at work

[QuettaKid]

16. can I just say. . . .

:party: :toast: :bounce: :party: :bounce: :party: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :party: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :party: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :party: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :party: :bounce: :toast: :toast: :bounce: :party: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :party: :toast: :bounce: :party: :toast: :bounce:

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. Ew!

n/t

[Patsy Stone]

8. I love this

and I'm going to post that I love it in every thread I see! :woohoo:

[eleny]

12. My shoulders are startng to feel lighter

[Patsy Stone]

22. Too true

I feel them unlocking.

[BOSSHOG]

9. From cheney??

[smoogatz]

17. Excellent.

Bet he'll use something bigger than a 28-gauge this time...

[converted_democrat]

36. .......

:rofl:

[TahitiNut]

57. Yep. Dan Quayle breathes another sigh of relief.

:silly:

[tabasco]

77. Bwwaahahahaha!!

I didn't get it at first.

[BOSSHOG]

80. Hi Tabasco

If you are ever in South Louisiana swing by Avery Island and check out your namesake. Its Disneyland for Pepper Lovers.

http://www.tabasco.com/main.cfm

A truly neat place to visit. And they have gotten over the hurricane fairly well.

[tabasco]

136. Hey Bosshog. I used to live down Patterson way.

Down next to Morgan City. I worked in the oil patch for a couple years before I went in the Army.

I worked for a really cool c**nass boat captain. One of the best dudes I ever knew.

I do miss the food. I would go to a little tin shack seafood restaurant and get a humungous seafood platter.

That is how I learned to love frog's legs. They put frog's legs on a seafood platter!

[elehhhhna]

11. Define the impact/meaning of a "target" letter, please?

[dave29]

20. It means he is officially in deep crap

The Prosecutor has reason to believe, and one would assume proof, of wrongdoing.

[papau]

30. The Grand Jury is looking at information that may result in his indictment

It does not guarantee anything - but Rove has been told they are no longer just developing information via his testimony - they are now looking at the information and may well decide to indite Rove.

[AndyA]

39. It advises him that he's about to be indicted. n/m

[MADem]

53. It means he is ACCUSED, not just a "subject"

A subject can be a witness, an innocent bystander, with info on the situation. A TARGET is someone who is about to have his ass indicted.

On a tangential note--did you notice that DAVID GREGORY did the Tweety show yesterday? Tweety is UP TO HIS ASS in this--Chris "Karl Rove told me that your wife was fair game" Matthews...gotta wonder where HE was yesterday??????

If Karl has flipped, the walls come tumbling down. Impeachment is an actual possibility, EVEN with a GOP Congress. Cheney will be gone, sooner rather than later. They'll try to toss him to the wolves and distract, but it may not float....

Remember that story a few weeks ago, where Gregory (again) asked Scott McClellan "Why was Scooter in the White House mess the other day?" and Scotty feigned ignorance?

That was probably Scooter, going to Karl and letting him know that he was giving him a courtesy, before he gave him a flush!!!!!

[napi21]

67. A person of interest is somebody the prosecutor wants more information

from. A target letter actually tells the person the prosecutor is after YOU! It's usually that last stop before the indictment!

[BuyingThyme]

125. The great thing about the term "target" is that, these days,

you never seem to hear that term used until after an arrest is made. Prosecutors avoid the term until the last moment.

You see this all the time in child abduction cases. They know all along that it was the father or the uncle, but prosecutors never identify them as "targets" until they go in to make the kills.

[dogday]

13. Is it to soon to break this out

[BOSSHOG]

27. Not quite

scooter leant karl his crutches so there will be no handcuffs when the perp walk occurs.

Great pic though.

[stop the bleeding]

14. FUCK Yeah

Go Fitz - Go Fitz - Go Fitz!!!!!!

[skooooo]

15. What's a "target letter?" nt

[stop the bleeding]

18. a nice way of saying your about to be indicted - get your p's and q's

in order before this is made public

[DoYouEverWonder]

25. It's worse then an induction letter

and not as bad as a guilty verdict.

[npincus]

41. "Target Letter" explained here:

http://www.lawyers.com/lawyers/A~1001633~LDS/FAQ+CRIME+FEDERAL.html#one

Federal grand juries conduct investigations into possible violations of federal criminal law. They have the power to subpoena witnesses to appear before them to testify and produce information.

The Department of Justice has special policies when the subpoenaed person is either a “target” or a “subject” of the grand jury investigation. A “target” is someone the prosecutor or grand jury has substantial evidence to link to a crime, and who, in the judgment of the prosecutor, is likely to be indicted. A “subject” of a grand jury investigation is someone whose conduct is within the scope of the grand jury’s investigation.

Due to the potential for unfairness and misunderstanding in making a person who is likely to be indicted testify or produce documents before a grand jury, prosecutors must first attempt to get the target to voluntarily appear. If that doesn’t work, the prosecutor must get the approval of the grand jury and the United States Attorney or the responsible Assistant Attorney General in order to issue a subpoena.

In deciding whether to subpoena a target, prosecutors will consider the importance of the testimony or information sought, whether the prosecutor can get the testimony or information from other witnesses, and whether the answers to the questions the prosecutors and grand jurors intend to ask would be privileged.

If the target of a grand jury investigation is subpoenaed, it’s the policy of the Department of Justice to advise the witness of his or her rights, either by attaching an “advice of rights” form to the subpoena or in a letter than accompanies the subpoena. In the case of a witness who’s the target or subject of the investigation, the following advice is provided: “The grand jury is conducting an investigation of possible violations of Federal criminal laws involving: . You may refuse to answer any question if a truthful answer to the question would tend to incriminate you. Anything that you do say may be used against you by the grand jury or in a subsequent legal proceeding. If you have retained counsel, the grand jury will permit you a reasonable opportunity to step outside the grand jury room to consult with counsel if you so desire.”

Targets are also advised that their conduct is being investigated for possible violation of federal criminal law.

[madrchsod]

81. he will have to answer questions from any grand jury member

any refusal paints him into a corner because the grand jury does not have to explain anything to anyone about their questions and far more damaging they are allowed to take notes of each session which are sealed at the end of each day. they can refer to those notes on deciding what charges should be brought forth or agreement with fitz`s charges. the only thing they can`t do is share notes with other grand jury members. i`ve been in front of a county grand jury and it wasn`t much fun i can`t imagine going in front of a grand jury led by fitzgerald.

[kpete]

103. Thanks npincus

A “target” is someone the prosecutor or grand jury has substantial evidence to link to a crime, and who, in the judgment of the prosecutor, is likely to be indicted.

[deminks]

21. Is it Fitzmas?

Wove is a tawget! Shhhhhh. Be vewy, vewy qwiet.

[Roland99]

28. Fitzmorial Day!

[deminks]

34. Yeeehaw!

:thumbsup:

[Tuesday_Morning]

79. Fitzo de Mayo!

[Roland99]

91. Oh yeah...closer, too!

[Infomaniac]

98. Margaritas for everybody!

[glitch]

109. Fitzaritas all around! nt

[DoYouEverWonder]

130. Mmm, yes

Thank you

[deminks]

100. Yeeehaw!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[Nickster]

106. I love it, let's hope Fitz goes with that date. n/t

[glitch]

107. Perfect!! nt

[dogday]

37. Here is the cap he needs

The Official Republican Dickhead Cap

[stubtoe]

118. What the Heck Is THAT?!

Oh, I see, it's supposed to be an elephant

*blush*

[dogday]

126. The Official Republican Elephant

hat... At the right angle, it looks just a little different and takes on a whole new meaning.. The truth just comes out at the weirdest times...

[katinmn]

59. Rowver is a Tawget, Rowver is a Tawget!

A “target” is someone the prosecutor or grand jury has substantial evidence to link to a crime, and who, in the judgment of the prosecutor, is likely to be indicted.

:bounce: :nopity: :headbang: :popcorn: :applause:

[Hubert Flottz]

24. That explains the demotion the other day...

KKKarl knew it was coming! I'm glad he's been worried! I hope the bastard never gets a good night's sleep as long as he lives!

[insane_cratic_gal]

31. there have been 3 of them

Rove Scotty and don't forget Card... We've long suspected that Card has played a roll in it.

My guess Card is the squealer

[Hubert Flottz]

38. I love it!

I hope KKKarl gets a KKKom(passionate) cellmate!

[lebkuchen]

40. How does one explain Rice/Rummy traveling together?

They can't stand each other!

[Hubert Flottz]

46. Nobody else can stand them either!

I love watching the Fall of Adlof W Bushco! I just laugh all the time anymore!

[lebkuchen]

People at my work are patting each other on the back

slinking up to each other w/big Cheshire cat grins on their face with, "Can you believe this? It's something every day!"

[Hubert Flottz]

62. KO ought to be good tonight, if this pans out!

The wheels are comming off of the GOP's War Wagon and it's nobody's baby but their own! THEY BROKE IT! Too Funny about Quick KKKarl!

[lebkuchen]

68. The Late Show & Snow will be a riot as well.

When it comes to comedy, Bush is the Motherlode.

[The Wielding Truth]

110. They are both in so much legal trouble.

They had to avoid the public until Rove can cook up a spin to make them look better. Rove's personal pending indictment and the muddle with Bush's poll numbers means he needs more time to work on their defense.

[lebkuchen]

148. Now is the time to hit them all hard, w/phone calls and letters

I intend to.

[Dr. Jones]

26. Don't get too excited...it IS Rawstory after all...

they've been known to tease and run...

[mitchtv]

42. hahahahahahaha

:toast:

[obnoxiousdrunk]

78. But this time

it's not breaking HARD. You just never know.

[rpgamerd00d]

29. Target Boy!

[elehhhhna]

32. Target Letter info per Federal Crime FAQ's :

The Department of Justice has special policies when the subpoenaed person is either a “target” or a “subject” of the grand jury investigation. A “target” is someone the prosecutor or grand jury has substantial evidence to link to a crime, and who, in the judgment of the prosecutor, is likely to be indicted. A “subject” of a grand jury investigation is someone whose conduct is within the scope of the grand jury’s investigation.


http://www.lawyers.com/lawyers/A~1001633~LDS/FAQ+CRIME+FEDERAL.html

[babylonsister]

44. Thanks for looking that up, elehhhhna; if Rawstory is correct,

this is hugh!!1! Series!2!!

[smoogatz]

33. Fitzmas comes in April!

Is this fun, or what? Who's next?? Somebody break out the magic 8-ball!

[lebkuchen]

35. It should make for an interesting Helen Thomas question to Snowball

I look forward to it.

[Infomaniac]

45. It's beginning to look a lot like Fitzmas..

Everywhere you go
Scooter's headed for the Can
And Rove is in a Jam
Can Chimp and Cheney be far behind

Oh! It's beginning to look a lot like Fitzmas....

[wicket]

48. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Infomaniac]

50. Thank you.

I'm glad you enjoyed that.

[cascadiance]

115. Heck with Fitzmas... Hoping my Halloween wishes come true!!

[Infomaniac]

122. HaaHaaaa. Great outfit.

Most people don't look good in an orange jumpsuit; but I think it will look great on Rove and Cheney.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

47. I hope this is one of the times that Raw has a reliable source...

I don't keep track of their hit and miss rate, but that's a pretty substantial claim. Let's hope it's backed up by fact.

:patriot:

[Blaze Diem]

51. When does Tony Snow start his job?? HA..have fun!

Let the questions begin..
Is Snow being counseled as to the handling of Rove indictment questions?
Who else is going down with Rove?
Cheney? Bush ?
Tony's got his hands full!

[MADem]

55. It really is a bad time to switch bullshit artists, UNLESS they want to

use the excuse that "he's learning" as a reason for not holding on-the-record pressers.....

[symbolman]

52. Is there any actual REPUTABLE

Media link saying this anywhere that anyone is aware of?

Frankly I don't believe Raw Story and as much as I'd like it to be true I don't care for RS's "rumor mill" way of dealing with Serious subjects.

Flame away, unless you have something substantial to offer, like a REAL link, for that I will be very thankful :)

[ProdigalJunkMail]

58. RawStory is quite well known for posting

something like this that then goes nowhere...when one of the big boys reports then I will buy it...until then...just another RawStory wishful thinking post

sP

[npincus]

60. I don't mind popping a bottle of champagne...

if this doesn't pan out, I'll drink it anyway!

[ProdigalJunkMail]

63. what the hell...

who needs a GOOD excuse to have a beer...it is close to closing... :-)

sP

[npincus]

64. tee hee

Cheers!

:toast:

[symbolman]

90. Yeah

they're posting the RS link all over the REAL news with the usual "story to follow"...

I call this Vegas Style, take a shot, toss it out there, if you're wrong you can always say that he WILL TOO be Indicted.. the COURT just changed the date, it's not OUR FAULT :)

Like they read Rove's Mail over his shoulder...

Firedoglake is being scrupulous as usual, I use them, as do others like Joseph Wilson..

[WilliamPitt]

149. Joseph Wilson

loves Jason Leopold and truthout.

Feels as though you're on a vendetta these days. It doesn't suit you.

[npincus]

54. this AND the new Neil Young album web stream release this week...

could we be dreaming....

[Pithy Cherub]

56. Rove is making a smooth transition from

subject to target. The next transition would be from target to felon. The white Hopuse was oh so stupid NOT to have let Rove go earlier. However, Cheney is evilly smiling because it means the leading dark dishonored knights from both the president and himself are now both off the table. Will that layer hold and which will give way first to make a deal. The way this has taken so much time is actually good because Real Republican Life Culture of Corrution is about to become a Summer Hit on Cable TV and lead write to seep week's before the 2006 election.

Fitzgerald to Rove & Libby: Deal or No Deal...:rofl:

Seriously stocking up:popcorn:

[robertpaulsen]

65. Damn! I'm really disappointed...

...that I can't CRACK OPEN A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE AT WORK!!!

:beer::woohoo::toast:

[garybeck]

66. my "indictment champagne" bottle is getting stale.

I have a bottle of champagne I bought last November, hoping to open (and drink) it the day Karl Rove is indicted. i was hoping it would be sooner. I don't know the shelf life of champagne, but I am thirsty.

[helderheid]

69. I'm dumb - what does this mean?

[npincus]

71. see post #41 (Target Letter explained)

[helderheid]

89. thank you thank you THANK YOU AND YIPPEEE!!!!

[npincus]

95. my pleasure! I'm giddy....

:toast:

[helderheid]

99. I have champagne chillin in my fridge - hope I'll have a reason to

break it out!

:toast:

[librechik]

150. me too! since 2005! It's French!

damn, 2 New Year's I passed on opening it. Please god, let this be the end of Rove.

[displacedtexan]

70. Here's the screen capture (3 good headlines)

[npincus]

73. that looks better than a Playgirl centerfold!

tee hee

[Joanne98]

132. No pictures?

[wryter2000]

72. Please be right this time

Fitzmas was so much less than what we expected last time.

[Little Star]

74. May the same happen to the whole WHIQ..please,please n/t

[Aviation Pro]

75. Asshole (Bush) is probably sweating big bullets....

...eom

[Catherine Vincent]

82. I haven't read the thread yet but wouldn't we already know this

since he is meeting with the grand jury today for the fifth time?

[myrna minx]

83. I think I'll do a little dance around my office.

OK, I'll shut the door first. :woohoo:

[WilliamPitt]

84. TRUTHOUT HAS FULL STORY HERE

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042606I.shtml

[senseandsensibility]

86. Thanks for the link, Will

Reading now!:)

[Maddy McCall]

87. Thank YOU!

I am getting sick as hell of seeing DUers cite rawstory when others, like truthout, have done the authentic work.

But that's rawstory for you.

[senseandsensibility]

92. Sources say that Fitzgerald has presented evidence to the

grand jury that rove lied eight out of ten times when he was asked about the leak:wow: (paraphrase of the article)

[Me.]

104. The Story Says

It is still up in the air as to whether he will be charged with OOJ but sees it as very likely that Rove will be charged with perjury.

*shadow government*

85. Rove as target - sounds good

better hurry up and figure out your options Mr. Rove, the fire is getting hot.

[dogday]

88. Here is where they get him

People close to the case said that Fitzgerald has presented additional evidence to the grand jury in the past week that shows Rove lied to federal investigators and a grand jury eight out of the nine times he was asked about his knowledge of the leak since October 2003.

[cascadiance]

116. I love that subliminal *-head advertising! :)

Of course we don't need to be told that they are *-heads! Of course, come 2006, that * will become limp again! :)

[dogday]

124. I don't think they meant to make their

elephant trunks look like *-heads, but that angle was just right.... You have to love it.. Especially in the background, something about compassionate party...lol :rofl:

[RedEarth]

96. Sounds like John King at CNN had the wrong sources

some of his sources said Rove was just going back to "clean things up a little.".......

[Spazito]

108. LOL, yep, wrong is right, King's sources are Rove's lawyers

and they are, at this moment, crossing all their fingers and toes that their speculation becomes fact, rofl.

[warrens]

97. The FRetards haven't heard yet

Some heads is gonna esplode when the news arrives.

[foreverdem]

101. OMG!

All hell will break loose over there.

[npincus]

102. FREEP thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1621876/posts

Re: Rove's appearance today... no mention of "target letter".

[kpete]

105. Anyone want to give them the news?

I would

But....

[robertpaulsen]

111. LOL! Reminds me of an Obi-Wan Kenobi line in Star Wars.

The one when the Death Star blew up an entire planet:

"I felt a great disturbance, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced".

That would be the sound of the loyal * 20% finding out Rove is a target!

[AbbyR]

113. What does it take to get posted on freep?

I went over and, in answer to a comment on the fact that Fitz is just trying to get Rove on perjury, because that's all he can get - I posted something innocuous like "I'm still worried, because isn't that all we got Clinton on: Perjury?"

It was deleted by the moderator and my account was closed in less than 60 seconds.

Gee - I thought it was a pretty safe thing to post over there...but then, what do I know?

[Catherine Vincent]

117. LOL!

They hate it when others point out to them their obvious partianship.

[npincus]

167. i've been kicked out twice at the Freakdom...

but my posts were abusive... yours was much more subtle. The Mods are quite paranoid, aren't they? However, they had you pegged!

[Joanne98]

134. LOL! this one is funny......

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: West Coast Conservative
Oh crimeny, when is this obsessive Fitzpatrick going to go away?? He's become like Javalier in "Les Miserable."

Why is it the media constantly had to remind us of how long and for how much the Starr investigation went on, an investigation about REAL crimes as opposed to the non-criminal revealing of the identity of a pencil pusher with no cover status at Langley who had already been identified in Who's Who, yet they keep rooting on this loser Fitzpatrick?? Time to go back to Chicago Fitzy! You've become tiresome. Get a real job on some one else's dime instead of on the back of us taxpayers!



8 posted on 04/26/2006 9:34:08 AM PDT by MikeA (Not voting in November because you're pouting is a vote for Democratic Congressional control)

[tenshi816]

157. I love it when freepers pretend to be literate.

Javalier! :rofl: If he'd actually read the book, he'd know that's wrong.

[lonestarnot]

163. Fitz is much easier to look at than that fucking Starr was. hehehehehe

[npincus]

168. he called him "Fitzy"... that's a term of endearment

is it not? I call him Fitzy and I have an unrequited crush on him...

:loveya:

[julialnyc]

112. Lawyer has target letter

Wednesday 26 April 2006

Karl Rove's appearance before a grand jury in the CIA leak case Wednesday comes on the heels of a "target letter" sent to his attorney recently by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, signaling that the Deputy White House Chief of Staff may face imminent indictment, sources that are knowledgeable about the probe said Wednesday.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042606I.shtml

[BuyingThyme]

123. Anybody heard about the target letter from any other news medium?

[VolcanoJen]

127. Nothing in the major media; Luskin says Rove is not a target

No confirmation of any kind of "target letter" has appeared on the cable news outlets or newspaper websites that I can find.

[BuyingThyme]

128. Do you have a solid date on that Luskin comment?

This seems to be a point of contention.

[VolcanoJen]

133. Luskin released his statement around 4:00 pm today.

It was released as soon as Rove's testimony to the federal grand jury had concluded.

I haven't been able to find an exact copy of Luskin's statement online yet (which is weird), but here's a bit more about it from Salon's Tim Grieve:

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/

Rove lawyer: My client is not a target

Karl Rove seems to be done testifying before the grand jury -- at least for today -- and his lawyer is throwing some cold water on the indictment watch. In a statement distributed to the press, Robert Luskin says that special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has advised Rove that he is "not a target" of his investigation.

And this appears at the end of his piece:

Update: Truthout is reporting that sources "knowledgeable about the probe" are saying that Fitzgerald has notified Luskin in a letter that his client is, in fact, a target of the investigation. At the federal courthouse in Washington, a spokesman for Rove just told Salon's Michael Scherer that the report is "utterly false."

There's also this Washington Post piece which popped up as testimony concluded:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/26/AR2006042600849_pf.html

Top presidential adviser Karl Rove testified today before a federal grand jury investigating the 2003 leak of a CIA operative's identity, appearing "voluntarily and unconditionally" at the request of the chief federal prosecutor, Rove's attorney said.

In a statement issued upon the conclusion of Rove's testimony at the federal courthouse in Washington, attorney Robert D. Luskin said the special counsel in the case, U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald, had advised Rove that he was "not a target of the investigation." However, Luskin said Fitzgerald has not made any decision about charges.

[BuyingThyme]

137. Thank you. This could be a word game. Luskin may be referring to

the Plame investigation or the Liddy investigation as "the investigation."

Arguably, being a target for prosecution doesn't make one a target of an investigation.

Rove is not the target of the investigation; he is the obstructer of the investigation -- and thus is being targeted for prosecution.

(Just spitballin' it here.)

[VolcanoJen]

138. Yeh, but it's the "target letter" story I'm concerned about.

I was pretty excited when I first read Leopold's report, but I have to say that I no longer believe it to be true.

A few lawyer-types on MSNBC debunked the "target letter" report as well, claiming it would be highly unusual for a prosecutor to send such a letter unless indictment was imminent, and by that, they meant hours.

They also argued that if such a "target letter" were received by Rove, no further testimony before the federal grand jury would be required.

While I believe strongly that Rove is a subject of the investigation, and is the chief "obstructer," the player kicking dirt in the umpire's eyes as Fitzgerald once put it, I don't think we should be buying into the unconfirmed, unsourced and uncorroborated "target letter" story written by Jason Leopold.

[BuyingThyme]

139. I hear you. Perhaps the target letter was withdrawn

on the condition that Rove would again testify without condition.

Now, I don't even know if such a think if possible; I'm just hoping Leopold is not blowing it here.

[onenote]

144. or perhaps the story was never correct

how many times has one website or another announced that Rove was a target or that Rove's indictment was imminent? Anyone who assumes these reports are true at this point shouldn't be surprised when they don't pan out. Maybe one day they will, but its a bit of "cry wolf" at this point.

onenote

[garybeck]

164. this is getting ridiculous

when I read the target letter story, I called up a few people to spread the word. if this doesn't pan out, it's going to make me look like a fool. if there is no target letter, I will never trust Jason Leopold again.

[dogday]

114. Way To Go kpete with the breaking news

thanks a bunch :hi: :hug:

[kpete]

119. Me thinks

I am more confused now then I was before "this breaking news"

I want confirmation...

Not that I don't trust Leopold

My gut is just not feeling the "perfect joy" it should be feeling.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I NEED to see this man put away - far, far away!

[dogday]

120. I hear ya

I have personal reasons for seeing this guy go down....

[BuyingThyme]

121. Okay, I feel a little better.

[cassiepriam]

131. Does anybody have a pic of Rove going into the GJ??? nt

[VolcanoJen]

140. Well, here's a cute pic of reporters helping ducks cross the street...

... while waiting for Rove to emerge from testimony. :-)



And here's the ol' Rover, leaving the courthouse.

[cassiepriam]

141. Thanx, he does look thinner. I love the ducks :))

[LeahD]

155. A whole heckuva lot thinner. The last few months have been tough!

[cassiepriam]

161. Yes in another pic I saw of him he looked pale, and a weak smile...

very interesting....

[magellan]

135. HOO-RAH!!

:bounce: :party: :bounce: :party: :bounce: :party:

In a year and a half on DU, this is the first time I've felt like partying!! Justice WILL be done!!

[Tom Joad]

142. YES!!

[Tom Joad]

143. Thank you lord for the happiest May Day ever! Can you guess the date

Or cinco de mayo. Or Memorial Day if it takes that long.

But i want to hear your best guess. Play the Rove Death Watch Game. When will Rove die, politically-speaking? Who in DU, or the syber universe, guess the time Pat Fitzgerald announces the indictment, which will be the equivalent of political death?

submit your guesses here:
http://tomjoad.org/rovedeathwatch.htm

[Independent_Liberal]

146. K&R!

[alittlelark]

152. Just gotta say-

:toast: :party: :bounce: :bounce: :toast: :party:

[Pryderi]

153. Little known Karl Rove fact:

He married his sister.

[lovuian]

154. Woohoo!!! Fitzy!!!

:woohoo:

This man is such a scumbag that he stole the elections for Bush and what is really awful
is he put us in Iraq and stole trillions

This is the biggest criminal in America...

[ClayZ]

158. Yay..... Whooo hooo!

I thought KKKarl looked like he lost a little weight.

No appetite, I guess.

[eridani]

159. Remember all those Fitzmas carols?

All of a sudden, one seems particularly appropriate (I compiled it by cutting and pasting three different versions I saw at at various sites, and rearranged a couple of things.)

Rove's nuts roasting on an open fire
John Law snapping at his toes
Federal indictments being read by the hour
And perps dressed up in prison clothes.

Everybody knows those turkeys in a prison cell
Would help to make the season bright
Fiendish plots had their eyes all aglow
They'll find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know Fitzgerald's on his way
With big indictments in his attache
And every one of us will crack a smile
To see Dick Cheney put away for awhile.

And so I'm offering these simple words
To all those neocons who choose
Not the truth, but to lie through their teeth
"Merry Fitzmas! You lose!"

[APPLE314]

160. You don't have to step in doggie do to smell it!

Anyone want to start a pool on how long KR will last? I have a half life expectancy for him of about 18 days.

[lonestarnot]

162. frog march frog march frog march

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce::bounce: :bounce::bounce: :bounce::bounce: :bounce::bounce: :bounce:

[bridgit]

165. thanks for re-posting what was re-posted from somewhere else...

double redundency...a GD trademark :thumbsup: :patriot:

[garybeck]

166. yeah, if only we knew if the story was true or not

right now Jason Leopold is just about the only person on the planet saying that Rove got a target letter. I don't know who or what we're supposed to believe.

[bridgit]

169. i hear you talking friend...

double, and triple for that matter, redundancy does have a way of keeping a good many of us busy & off the streets so as to say, i for one have to get to work, hope to be seeing you round as i appreciate your post :hi: