After several weeks of hiding, Karl Rove reemerged last night, delivering a largely predictable speech to the Federalist Society on the scourge of “activist” judges. To hear Rove’s allies tell it, after not being indicted by Patrick Fitzgerald, he’s back to his old self.
“I’ve noticed a big difference,” said one Republican in regular contact with Mr. Rove who declined to speak for attribution because the White House did not authorize it. “There’s a spring in his step, more focus, more – something. Some sort of weight off his shoulders.”
As it turns out, that weight that forced Rove into a temporary exile isn’t off his shoulders just yet. As Murray Waas reported today in the National Journal, Fitzgerald is still eyeing Rove. (via C&L)
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald delayed a decision on whether to seek criminal charges against Karl Rove in large part because he wants to determine whether Lewis (Scooter) Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, can provide information on Rove’s role in the CIA leak case, according to attorneys involved in the investigation.
Even if Fitzgerald concludes in the near future that he does not have sufficient evidence to charge Rove, the special prosecutor would not rule out bringing charges at a later date and would not finish his inquiry on Rove until he hears whatever information Libby might provide — either incriminating or exculpatory — on Rove’s role, the sources said.
Waas also noted that Fitzgerald has re-interviewed several witnesses with knowledge of Rove’s role in the Plame leak and talked with attorneys of other potential witnesses this week.
That’s the bad news for Rove. The bad news for the rest of us who are wondering what’s going to happen next is that this could drag on for quite a while. Waas explained that Rove will likely remain under investigation until the final disposition of Libby’s case — which could come two years from now.
From Rove’s perspective, this might keep him free of indictment until 2007, if not later. On the other hand, it also means that the cloud of a White House criminal investigation will be hanging over Bush’s top political aide for the indefinite future, which will hardly help to make this scandal go away.