Raw Story: Rove Will Be Charged or Plead Guilty
Raw Story has an article up about Rove's aide Susan Ralston being recalled to the grand jury to testify again about why she didn't log a telephone call between Matthew Cooper and Karl Rove in July, 2003. Raw Story reports Ralston intitially said that the call came in to the White House switchboard rather than Rove's office, but Fitzgerald later obtained documentary evidence that wasn't the case. According to Raw Story, during her second grand jury session, she testified Karl Rove told her not to log that call and others.
However, the bigger news in the article, if true, is this:
Two things are clear, the sources said: either Rove will agree to enter into a plea deal with Fitzgerald or he will be charged with a crime, but he will not be exonerated for the role he played in the leak.
Raw Story also reports sources believe the charge or charges will be making a false statement to investigators and/or obstruction.
I have opined many times that Rove will take a deal if he can get Fitzgerald to limit the charge to making a false statement to investigators and to agree to recommend a sentence reduction to a probationary or home detention range. [More on that here.] I don't think Fitz was willing to consider this until Rove came forward days before Libby's indictment with his 11th hour new evidence. I think Fitz held off on indicting Rove either because they made a last minute deal or Fitz agreed to consider a no-jail deal if Rove's new evidence held up after investigation by his FBI agents or the new grand jury.
Another sentence in today's Raw Story article makes me think this might be the case:
If Rove does agree to a plea, Fitzgerald is not expected to discuss any aspect of his probe into the President’s senior adviser because Rove may be called to testify as a prosecution witness against I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.
In other words, Rove won't be sentenced until his cooperation is over and Fitz can see he fulfilled his end of the bargain.
I have also opined that if Fitz refuses to limit the charges and sentencing exposure to a probationary or home detention range, Rove will decide to fight like hell.
More at Did Rover Roll Over.
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