Leakgate: Further Pressure on Ashcroft to Recuse Himself

[G_j]

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17084


Leakgate: Pressure on Ashcroft to Recuse Himself Grows

By Murray Waas, AlterNet
October 31, 2003

Several senior federal law enforcement officials in recent days have spoken privately amongst themselves of what they believe to be an increasing necessity by Attorney General John Ashcroft to formally recuse himself from any further role in the probe as to who leaked the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame. Investigators have begun to interview a number of personal friends and political associates of Ashcroft and members of his senior staff.


That belief among the senior law enforcement officials has only intensified in recent days since as many as a half-dozen White House officials have been asked by federal investigators about contacts they had with the Republican National Committee and conservative political activists. Investigators apparently are looking at whether the contacts were aimed at discrediting Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV.


Ashcroft’s own deputy chief of staff and a recently departed director of public affairs for the Justice Department have held senior positions at the Republican National Committee. Several investigators question whether Ashcroft should continue to oversee the investigation as increasingly larger numbers of individuals close to Attorney General and his staff are drawn into the probe, according to federal law enforcement officials. A smaller number of investigators also privately support Ashcroft naming a special counsel to take over the probe entirely.


The White House and the RNC have worked closely together to stymie the political fallout from the Plame affair, according to administration and Republican party officials. At least a half dozen White House officials have been asked about their contacts with the RNC, according to two Bush administration officials. The same officials also say they do not believe that investigators are probing the efforts by the White House and the RNC as criminal misconduct, but rather as a means of determining who leaked Plame’s identity as a CIA officer last July to conservative columnist Robert D. Novak.

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[htuttle]

1. No, that's not what they are looking for

They are trying to determine who the second leaker was -- the one who told the press that the White House called 6 journalists to further spread the Plame leak.

He (she?) is the one the Administration is really after.