Rove, McClellan Interviewed in Leak Probe [View All]

[Spazito]

WASHINGTON - The FBI (news - web sites) has interviewed more than three dozen Bush administration officials, including political adviser Karl Rove and press secretary Scott McClellan, in its investigation into the leak of an undercover CIA (news - web sites) officer's identity.


The interviews have extended beyond the White House to other government agencies. The Defense and State departments and the CIA itself also are part of the probe.


The focus, however, remains on the White House, two law enforcement officials said on condition of anonymity. While the initial, informal interviews have yielded no major breaks, the FBI is satisfied that the dozen agents assigned to the probe are making progress and have not encountered any stalling tactics, the officials said Thursday

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Democrats repeatedly have urged Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites) to appoint a special counsel or recuse himself because of his close political ties to the White House. They also question why the Justice Department (news - web sites) waited several days after the investigation began to ask White House staffers to preserve documents.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031023/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/cia_leak