Fitz to charge for the leak itself? Reuters suggests so....

[blitzen]

Sounds good to me....


http://today.reuters.com/business/newsarticle.aspx?type=tnBusinessNews&storyID=nN25576267&imageid=&cap=

Marc Lefkowitz, who lives across the street from Plame, told Reuters two FBI agents asked him on Monday if he knew about Plame's CIA work before her identity was leaked to the press in 2003. Lefkowitz said he told them: "I didn't know."

Two lawyers involved in the case said such questioning could indicated that prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald intended to charge administration officials for the leak itself, in addition to possible charges for easier-to-prove crimes like perjury and obstruction of justice.

Prosecutors also questioned a Rove colleague and other witnesses, lawyers said.

[writes2000]

1. Great point. Why would they be asking this...unless? n/t

[shraby]

4. Unless the White House sent them out

to find any people that could possibly know before she was leaked. Gives them an out to say her cover was generally known.

[writes2000]

10. Wouldn't that be tampering with an investigation?

And if I'm in the White House, I wouldn't use the FBI to do this. I'd use someone private.

[Tiggeroshii]

2. So what time do you suppose he'll announce this Cheney indictment? n/t

[KoKo]

3. I'm sorry...but I find it hard to believe that Fitz's Investigators are

going around Tonight or Last Night just NOW interviewing Plame/Wilson's neighbors asking "Did you know about Valerie? Was she CIA...they ask breathlessly."

This sounded to me like a Repug Plant from when Matthews talked about it tonight and he picked it up from this Reuter's report.

If Fitz has had two years...why would he have his investigators out there just NOW..on the streets asking about Plame...? He'd have to be an idiot to send folks out just before he's either going to indict or drop the investigation. Given his Investigation prameters...the first step would have been to find out how many of Plame's friends and neighbors really knew...and not to wait for the total last minute.

[blitzen]

6. someone else addressed this on another thread...

the basic point being that he didn't want to tip his hand until he had all the testimony in from the targets

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Actually, this would be at least the second such asking

It was reported long ago that this same sort of investigation was going on. I don't have a link, but I am sure others here on DU have one.

I also recall, but am less sure, that there was a second round. And now this ... which is either the second on third time they've gone down this road.

Measure twice. Cut once.

[KoKo]

12. yes...but at this point ...who of Plames Neighbors wouldn't NOW KNOW

she had been CIA...it's like every night there's a news item on it. So, how could this be a "real investigation," at this late date.

The Wilsons live in a community of like incomed, like minded folks, one would assume. Who at this point would say..."WOW...I had no idea that Val the mother of those 'cute twins' was involved in the Government.."

How could this be believable. This is why trials get moved because just like with O.J. and Jackson and others...one doesn't find jurors who don't know what happened if they wait until the last moment to go around to the "neighbors." :eyes:

[emulatorloo]

14. see my link to latimes below _ did they know "before" novaks column

EOM

[KoKo]

15. Okay.

[emulatorloo]

13. LA TIMES also reports that Fitz sent them out - "asking neighbors again"

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-102505leak_lat,0,6685030,print.story

Fitzgerald Focuses Again on Rove
By Tom Hamburger, Richard B. Schmitt and Peter Wallsten
Times Staff Writers

<snip>
6:14 PM PDT, October 25, 2005

WASHINGTON — Prosecutors investigating the leak of a CIA agent's identity returned their attention to powerful White House advisor Karl Rove on Tuesday, questioning a former West Wing colleague about contacts Rove had with reporters in the days leading to the outing of a covert CIA officer.

Special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald also dispatched FBI agents to comb the CIA officer's residential neighborhood in Washington, asking neighbors again whether they were aware — before her name appeared in a syndicated column — that the agent, Valerie Plame, worked for the CIA.

The questioning, described by lawyers familiar with the case and by the neighbors, occurred as Fitzgerald was thought to be readying indictments in the long-running inquiry into the leak of Plame's identity.

The inquiry, which has reached deep into the White House and could come to an end this week, focused initially on determining who leaked the agent's name to reporters. More recent, Fitzgerald has appeared to turn his attention to possible perjury, obstruction of justice or conspiracy to violate laws prohibiting the distribution of classified secrets.

Snip

[KoKo]

16. I read the article, in full...it still seems strange that he would go

around "tying up loose ends" with neighbors. And, I wonder which neighbors tipped off the LATIMES to the fact that Fitz was interviewing and repeating interviews with some his "agents" had talked to before.

One wonders if some of these folks aren't being interiewed by Bush investigators...who leaked this...but never mind..:tinfoilhat:

Thanks for the link to the article, though. I just heard about it from Matthews and the post.

[C_U_L8R]

5. call me paranoid

but this sounds more like a bush-cheney fishing expedition
(using the fbi to find some loophole to save their hides)

Maybe that's illegal too. So,,,, WHO ordered these FBI agents to
start snooping around the Plame neighborhood ??? Hmmm???

[NNN0LHI]

8. I hope Mr. Lefkowitz asked for identification from them

Don't want any more Bush staffers scrounging around posing as FBI agents like they did when they impersonated Secret Service agents at Bush campaign events.

Don

[KoKo]

17. Wouldn't that be just like the Bush Bots. Send "secret agents" posing

as Fitz folks interviewing the neighbors. It's hard to know...the street must have been busy with agents from both sides. And, doing this the week before Halloween. Must have had some eyes rolling in that neighborhood.

[moc]

9. Sounds like Kay Bailey Hutchison will get her wish.

The indictments won't just be for petty little "technicalities" like perjury and obstruction of justice.

She must be so pleased.

:bounce:

[Guaranteed]

11. With Cheney coming into the picture in the way that he has, it's starting

to look as if there was a conspiracy.

It's just snowballing. My guess is that it will keep getting bigger, too.

I wonder if Fitz can somehow extend the grand jury....