home

Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning

Murray Waas has the latest on Karl Rove's next grand jury appearance - it's tomorrow morning. As I speculated here, he will:

  • Try to explain his previous mistatements or as Murray puts it, why his statements have evolved and changed over time
  • Try to explain the discrepancies between his and Matthew Cooper's version of the their conversations

And Murray adds a third one:

He will also be questioned regarding contacts with other senior administration officials, such as then-deputy National Security advisor Stephen J. Hadley and I. Lewis Libby, the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney in the critical week before the publication of columnist Robert Novak's column on July 14, 2003, which outed Plame as a covert CIA operative.

David Corn weighs in here.

Update: There seems to be conflicting media reports on whether Fitzgerald or Rove initiated the request for Rove to testify. The New York Times reports Rove was "summoned" back to the Grand Jury by Fitzgerald. The AP reports Rove's offer was accepted. WAPO reports Rove offered to testify again in July after Matthew Cooper testified, and he never heard back from Fitzgerald until this week.

It seems to me Fitzgerald accepted Rove's offer, rather than he summoned Rove.

< More on Target Notices and Rove | RNC Conference Call on Harriet Miers >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort:
    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:45 PM EST
    Looks like the NYR has the opposite story. Fitzgerald calls in Rove to testify.
    The special prosecutor in the C.I.A. leak case has summoned Karl Rove, the senior White House adviser, to return next week to testify to a federal grand jury in a step that could mean there will be charges filed in the case, lawyers in the case said today.
    NYT via War and Peace

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#2)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:45 PM EST
    Looks like the NYT has the opposite story, not the NYR that was a typo.

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:45 PM EST
    Who wrote the article in the NYT?

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#4)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:45 PM EST
    gwg-David Johnston

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:45 PM EST
    Who is David Johnston? Could he be a Judith Miller protege? Oh, I apologize. Blame it on wishful thinking. I've come across other news sources carrying this same NYT version of events. I guess Karl Rove is going to fly through this unscathed. What a pig.

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#6)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:45 PM EST
    Most of the reporting staff at the NYT hate Miller as she is a major pill and super competitive nasty, real nice to her sources though. Johnston wrote recently with Jehl a less than sterling piece on Miller. Also the Libby letter was posted on that article which disappeared soon after it appeared. There is tension at the NYT between Staff and admin because of Miller as Arianna Huffington has pointed out on her blog.

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#7)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:45 PM EST
    Rove Testifies in Wilson Leak The president's advisor appears before a federal grand jury By VIVECA NOVAK - Time Online Edition Luskin: "My client appeared voluntarily before the grand jury and has cooperated with the investigation since it began," said Rove's attorney Robert Luskin. "He has been assured in writing as recently as this week that he is not a target of the investigation."

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#8)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:45 PM EST
    That was last year - is he going to get a pass from Fitgerald again this time around today?

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#9)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:45 PM EST
    I hope he knows in advance what the definition of is is. What goes around comes around freeps.

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#10)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:45 PM EST
    Che: definition of is I wonder how Karl would look in a blue dress?

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#11)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:46 PM EST
    Miller is going back on tuesday to answer more questions about Libby.
    in an article late Thursday, the Times' David Johnson wrote that federal prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald "has indicated that he is not entirely finished with Judith Miller, the New York Times reporter who recently testified before the grand jury after serving 85 days in jail. According to a lawyer familiar with the case, Mr. Fitzgerald has asked Ms. Miller to meet him next Tuesday to further discuss her conversations with I. Lewis Libby, the vice president's chief of staff." But Fitzgerald apparently has not indicated whether he plans to summon Miller for further testimony before the grand jury. It seems to me Fitzgerald accepted Rove's offer, rather than he summoned Rove. And Johnston observed, "Recently lawyers said that they believed the prosecutor may be applying new legal theories to bring charges in the case. "One new approach appears to involve the possible use of Chapter 37 of the federal espionage and censorship law, which makes it a crime for anyone who 'willfully communicates, delivers, transfers or causes to be communicated' to someone 'not entitled to receive it' classified information relating the national defense matters."
    From E&P and David Johnston's NYT piece.

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#12)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:46 PM EST
    Miller is going back on tuesday to answer more questions about Libby. I agree, it seems that Fitzgerald accepted Rove's offer, rather than he summoned Rove.
    in an article late Thursday, the Times' David Johnson wrote that federal prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald "has indicated that he is not entirely finished with Judith Miller, the New York Times reporter who recently testified before the grand jury after serving 85 days in jail. According to a lawyer familiar with the case, Mr. Fitzgerald has asked Ms. Miller to meet him next Tuesday to further discuss her conversations with I. Lewis Libby, the vice president's chief of staff." But Fitzgerald apparently has not indicated whether he plans to summon Miller for further testimony before the grand jury. And Johnston observed, "Recently lawyers said that they believed the prosecutor may be applying new legal theories to bring charges in the case. "One new approach appears to involve the possible use of Chapter 37 of the federal espionage and censorship law, which makes it a crime for anyone who 'willfully communicates, delivers, transfers or causes to be communicated' to someone 'not entitled to receive it' classified information relating the national defense matters."
    From E&P and David Johnston's NYT piece.

    Re: Karl Rove Will Testify Friday Morning (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:47 PM EST
    Who is David Johnston? Could he be a Judith Miller protege?
    Johnston was a muckraking cub reporter for the SF Bay Guardian in the early 80's, so I doubt he's in league with Miller. Didn't Fitzgerald tell Rove he'd get back to him after Rove's last offer in July to testify? Summoned/accepted seems a difference of no substance in this instance. My best guess is that Fitzgerald either wants more from Rove now, or is simply extending a "courtesy" before indictments come down.