Two stories in NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/07/politics/07leak.html?hp&ex=1128744000&en=249147369de1936e&
amp;ei=5094&partner=homepage
and LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/ats-ap_top13oct07,0,7723237.story
show that Rove is skating on very thin ice.
The NY Times story suggests that Fitzgerald had been wavering on whether to charge anyone, but something seems to have changed, which both pieces seem to pick up on. Another thing to notice is that both pieces suggest Fitzgerald is only focussing on the outing of Plame. If we want a more thorough exploration of the whole Niger/WMD claims, Fitzgerald is probably not our man.
One other tidbit from the NY Times is that Fitzgerald is being creative (haven't figured out gray boxes yet, so here's the block quote):
Mr. Fitzgerald has focused on whether there was a deliberate effort to retaliate against Mr. Wilson for his column and its criticism of the Bush administration's Iraq policy. Recently lawyers said that they believed the prosecutor may be applying new legal theories to bring charges in the case.
One new approach appears to involve the possible use of Chapter 37 of the federal espionage and censorship law, which makes it a crime for anyone who "willfully communicates, delivers, transfers or causes to be communicated" to someone "not entitled to receive it" classified information relating the national defense matters.
Under this broad statute, a government official or a private citizen who passed classified information to anyone else in or outside the government could potentially be charged with a felony, if they transferred the information to someone without a security clearance to receive it.
End quote.
My take? I'm troubled to see that at least some sources believed Fitzgerald didn't want to charge anyone for outing Wilson, because he couldn't build a strong enough case. I'm heartened that he seems to have changed his mind. I'm also rolling in shadenfreude over mounting misfortune of Rove, who seems to have pulled on dirty trick too many. I'm troubled that the larger story on WMD claims/lies may never see light of day, let alone the light of a courtroom.
Apologize for the not so professional attempt at a first diary, but wanted folks to have a chance to see these two stories when they got up this morning.
Zirc