[UPDATED] In the last couple days, a number of Diaries and blogs have referenced a set of newly-released documents in the Plame case that contain subpoenas and memos.
There seems to be a generalized misunderstand about the contents of those documents. They contain orders for discovery of White House communications. But, they are all directed at the Office of the Vice President (OVP). Nowhere in these subpoenas is any reference to Karl Rove, who is not an employee of the OVP.
If Rove deleted his e-mails, that is not a violation of the court orders we have just been shown.
Of course, other subpoenas would have applied specifically to Rove. As to whether he complied fully in producing copies of all his e-mails, one can only speculate.
Presumably, any subpoena to Rove would have required him to turn over all his e-mails on all WH servers, not just the ones used for "official business".
This raises a very good question, where are the Rove subpoenas?
MORE below . . .
Among those who seem to have misread a memo about preservation of communications and records related to the Plame case is Larry Johnson. His blog -- http://noquarter.typepad.com/... -- quotes an extract of a memo from David Addington to staff members of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
The memo and order are part of a 35-page PDF document file here: http://wid.ap.org/...
The extract quoted appears in a memo from Addington at pages 8 and 9 of 35. As I read it, the DOJ Order -- pages 4 and 5 of the PDF file -- and Addington's memo is addressed to employees of the OVP, not the Executive Office of the President (EOP). Mr. Rove, of course, is the President's assistant, and works for EOP.
Rove is not a member of the OVP. He is not otherwise named in the Order or in the Addington memo.
As much as I would love to see Rove nailed, this does not seem to provide the hammer.
Johnson wrote: http://noquarter.typepad.com/...
"Here's the link for what the Department of Justice told the White House to produce and preserve. The White House was told to preserve:
ALL DOCUMENTSFROM FEBRUARY 2002 TO JANUARY 23 2004 INCLUSIVE INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ALL ELECTRONIC RECORDS WRITTEN RECORDS TELEPHONE RECORDS OF ANY KIND INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY DOCUMENTS THAT MEMORIALIZE TELEPHONE CALLS HAVING BEEN MADE CORRESPONDENCE COMPUTER RECORDS EMAIL STORAGE DEVICES NOTES WHETHERHANDWRITTEN OR TYPED OR IN ANY OTHER FORMAT MEMORANDA AND DIARY AND CALENDAR ENTRIES IN THE Q119
POSSESSION OF THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT ITS STAFF AND EMPLOYEES CONCERNING ANY DISCUSSION OF THE FOLLOWING ...
As one reads the final two lines, above, it becomes clear that the order applies to persons within OVP. No reference is made to Karl Rove or any other OEP employee in any of the memos or subpoenas contained in the PDF document file.
Some false expectations may have been raised by misinterpretation of these Plame case documents, but it also causes us to ask: when are we going to see the subpoenas issued for Mr. Rove and others who work directly with the President? What will they tell us?
Did Karl, indeed, delete e-mails after he was subpoenaed? Where are Rove's subpoenas, and why haven't they been released?