Needless to say, the next few days will be exceedingly interesting for Karl Rove, Patrick Fitzgerald, and the political world following the ongoing criminal investigation of the Bush White House. Rove is poised to make his fourth appearance before the grand jury, and while few outside the courthouse know exactly what this means, the one thing everyone can agree on is that Rove is in a very tough spot.
Stephen Gillers, a New York University law professor, said it was unusual for a witness to be called back to a grand jury four times and that the prosecutor’s legally required warning to Rove before this next appearance is “an ominous sign” for the presidential adviser.
“It suggests Fitzgerald has learned new information that is tightening the noose,” Gillers said.
Here’s a summary of what you need to know from the last 12 or so hours:
* Murray Waas has learned that Rove’s testimony will come this morning, not next week. Rove will be “pressed about issues as to why his accounts to the FBI and grand jury have changed, or evolved, over time.”
* Fitzgerald has asked the New York Times’ Judith Miller to meet him next Tuesday to further discuss her conversations with I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the vice president’s chief of staff.
* In recent days, Rove has been less visible than usual at the White House, fueling speculation that he is distancing himself from Bush or has been sidelined. (A Bush aide says Rove is with his family on a long-planned trip.)
* A continuing area of interest centers on a possible violation of the federal Espionage Act. Under this broad statute, a government official or a private citizen who passed classified information to anyone else in or outside the government could potentially be charged with a felony, if they transferred the information to someone without a security clearance to receive it.
* MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell predicted “at least three high level Bush Administration personnel” will be indicted, and possibly one or more very high-level aides will be labeled unindicted co-conspirators.