White House fears top Cheney aide may be indicted
White House officials today braced for the possibility that Vice President Dick Cheney’s top aide would be indicted in the CIA leak case, but held out hope presidential confidant Karl Rove might escape charges for the time being.
Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald yesterday signalled he might simply keep Rove under investigation, according to a person familiar with recent developments in the case.
That would spare Rove bad news today when the grand jury that has heard the case for two years is set to expire.
Speculation flew across Washington about who, if anyone, would be indicted regarding the exposure of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame.
Rove attended the daily meeting of the senior staff and met with the president late in the evening, at the end of a day in which the White House dealt with the withdrawal of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers.
Cheney’s top aide, Lewis Libby was said to have passed up the staff meeting to attend a security briefing. Possible charges include obstruction of justice or perjury.
