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10-16-2005, 05:32 PM
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White House prepares for possible indictments
By Caroline Daniel in Washington
Published: October 16 2005 20:42 | Last updated: October 16 2005 20:42
The White House is bracing itself for the possible indictment of senior officials as Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor, prepares to wrap up his two-year inquiry into the leaking of a covert CIA agent's name.
Further details about the role of White House officials were underlined in a report in the New York Times on Sunday.
Judith Miller, the reporter released from jail after 85 days after she agreed to testify before a grand jury, gave an account of her conversations with Scooter Libby, chief of staff to Dick Cheney, vice-president. She also admitted that Mr Fitzgerald had asked whether Mr Cheney had personally authorised Mr Libby to speak.
In a more ominous sign, Ms Miller said Mr Fitzgerald's questions went beyond the leaking of the CIA name to probe the administration's selective leaking of intelligence information ahead of the Iraq war. During the hearing, she said he repeatedly asked how Mr Libby handled classified information and showed her some documents.
“[They] seemed familiar, and that they might be excerpts from the National Intelligence Estimate of Iraq's weapons. Mr Fitzgerald asked whether Mr Libby had shown any of the documents to me. I thought I remembered him at one point reading from a piece of paper he pulled from his pocket,” she wrote.
It remains unclear whether Mr Fitzgerald will issue indictments the grand jury is due to be dismissed on October 28 but the mood at the White House is one of foreboding. It could prove to be one of the most critical weeks of George W. Bush's presidency. It comes amid deteriorating poll numbers for Mr Bush, with only 28 per cent of Americans agreeing that the country is on the “right track” the lowest level for a decade.
Of most concern is the role of Karl Rove, Mr Bush's chief political strategist. On Friday, he testified for a fourth time before the grand jury. Ahead of his testimony he was warned that there was no guarantee that he would not be indicted.
Mr Rove has not received a letter saying he is a target of the investigation but he has been adopting a lower profile recently. He was due to speak at a fund raising event on Saturday but cancelled. He did not return to the White House on Friday after his testimony, according to the New York Times.
Last week, there were signs that the White House's usual clinical competence at staging events was coming unstuck. In one omission, broadcasters were able to watch live footage of military officials prepping soldiers in Iraq for a satellite question and answer session with Mr Bush.
In an awkward moment on Friday, Scott McClellan, White House spokesman, was asked whether the administration was distracted by the CIA investigation. He attempted a joke, pretending to ignore the question. No one laughed. He tried again, his eyes swivelling away from the podium. “I'm sorry, I'm a little distracted up here,” he said. Again, no one laughed.
© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2005. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. Privacy policy | Terms | Advertising | Corporate
White House prepares for possible indictments
By Caroline Daniel in Washington
Published: October 16 2005 20:42 | Last updated: October 16 2005 20:42
The White House is bracing itself for the possible indictment of senior officials as Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor, prepares to wrap up his two-year inquiry into the leaking of a covert CIA agent's name.
Further details about the role of White House officials were underlined in a report in the New York Times on Sunday.
Judith Miller, the reporter released from jail after 85 days after she agreed to testify before a grand jury, gave an account of her conversations with Scooter Libby, chief of staff to Dick Cheney, vice-president. She also admitted that Mr Fitzgerald had asked whether Mr Cheney had personally authorised Mr Libby to speak.
In a more ominous sign, Ms Miller said Mr Fitzgerald's questions went beyond the leaking of the CIA name to probe the administration's selective leaking of intelligence information ahead of the Iraq war. During the hearing, she said he repeatedly asked how Mr Libby handled classified information and showed her some documents.
“[They] seemed familiar, and that they might be excerpts from the National Intelligence Estimate of Iraq's weapons. Mr Fitzgerald asked whether Mr Libby had shown any of the documents to me. I thought I remembered him at one point reading from a piece of paper he pulled from his pocket,” she wrote.
It remains unclear whether Mr Fitzgerald will issue indictments the grand jury is due to be dismissed on October 28 but the mood at the White House is one of foreboding. It could prove to be one of the most critical weeks of George W. Bush's presidency. It comes amid deteriorating poll numbers for Mr Bush, with only 28 per cent of Americans agreeing that the country is on the “right track” the lowest level for a decade.
Of most concern is the role of Karl Rove, Mr Bush's chief political strategist. On Friday, he testified for a fourth time before the grand jury. Ahead of his testimony he was warned that there was no guarantee that he would not be indicted.
Mr Rove has not received a letter saying he is a target of the investigation but he has been adopting a lower profile recently. He was due to speak at a fund raising event on Saturday but cancelled. He did not return to the White House on Friday after his testimony, according to the New York Times.
Last week, there were signs that the White House's usual clinical competence at staging events was coming unstuck. In one omission, broadcasters were able to watch live footage of military officials prepping soldiers in Iraq for a satellite question and answer session with Mr Bush.
In an awkward moment on Friday, Scott McClellan, White House spokesman, was asked whether the administration was distracted by the CIA investigation. He attempted a joke, pretending to ignore the question. No one laughed. He tried again, his eyes swivelling away from the podium. “I'm sorry, I'm a little distracted up here,” he said. Again, no one laughed.
© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2005. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. Privacy policy | Terms | Advertising | Corporate