- As Supreme Court pick Harriet Miers "withdrew"
her name from nomination early this morning, there are more indications
that the Bush White House is in free fall. There are reports that Special
Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has postponed announcements of indictments
until tomorrow because of a number of developments. First, negotiations
between Fitzgerald and Karl Rove's attorney Robert Luskin on a plea agreement
apparently broke down and Rove will be indicted on up to five counts. Those
negotiations likely postponed the announcement of indictments. Second,
yesterday, Fitzgerald spent 45 minutes discussing the case with US District
Court presiding Judge Thomas F. Hogan who has been hearing the case.
-
- Hogan is a no-nonsense judge who, in September 2003,
quashed a legal maneuver by convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard's lawyers
to have his espionage case reheard. What is noteworthy is that Fitzgerald
may have sought Hogan's approval for a new grand jury after the current
one expires tomorrow.
-
- White House Meltdown: Miers: Out for SCOTUS. Rove, Hadley,
Libby indictments said to come tomorrow
-
- It is being reported that Fitzgerald's prosecution team
has received significant evidence from the US Attorney for Eastern Virginia
and Deputy Attorney General nominee Paul McNulty that dovetails Fitzgerald's
probe with McNulty's own probe of espionage involving Pentagon officials
and staffers of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). During
the 2003 hearing, Hogan was unsympathetic to Pollard's protestations that
his 1987 trial was unfair. Classified documents prepared at the time of
Pollard's trial described the severe damage Pollard's transmittal of highly-classified
intelligence to Israel caused for U.S. national security. The Pollard case
is still radioactive for the US Intelligence Community. In 1998, CIA Director
George Tenet threatened to quit if President Clinton released Pollard.
Interestingly, it is believed that Pollard's omission from Clinton's 2000
pardon list was compensated by the addition of fugitive financier Marc
Rich's name. The Rich pardon was partly negotiated by I. Lewis "Scooter"
Libby, Rich's attorney and now, a prime subject of the Fitzgerald probe.
-
- The latest speculation is that Fitzgerald's sealed indictments
were delivered to Judge Hogan yesterday and that they will be announced
tomorrow.
-
- http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/
|
