Well, Now Isn't This Interesting?
Looks like Patrick Fitzgerald is still a very busy boy. Susan Ralston is said to be going back in front of a grand jury for a third trip as early as Monday, according to the latest from Raw Story.
According to lawyers familiar with the case, Fitzgerald is trying to convince the grand jury that Rove made false statements during the three times he testified under oath and misleading statements to Justice Department and FBI investigators when he was first interviewed about his role in the leak in October 2003.Sounds to me like Susan Ralston's attorney has a leak in the office. Either that or Raw Story has an FBI source, which is less likely in my mind, given the "trying to convince" spin that's been floated here regarding Fitz presenting the facts to the grand jurors.
The attorneys told RAW STORY that Fitzgerald has called Rove’s former personal assistant, Susan B. Ralston -- who was also a special assistant to President Bush -- to testify before the grand jury for a third time, perhaps as early as Monday. She is not said to be in legal jeopardy.
Whatever the case, looks like journalists will be camping out on Monica Beach in front of the federal courthouse again next week.
But why speak with Ralston a third time? Well, likely because she is Rove's personal assistant -- the gatekeeper for all phone calls and people flowing in and out of his office, and the person responsible for keeping those records required by the White House of all in-going and out-going information, via calls and mail.
Ralston testified that Cooper’s name was not noted in the call logs from Rove’s office, those familiar with the case say.What could this mean? It could sure as hell show some state of mind in terms of wanting to hide the phone call, and that the person wanting the call kept off the books had some knowledge that what they might be doing would get them in trouble. In other words, that they might be doing something...erm...illegal. Ahem.
Ralston told the grand jury that Cooper’s call to Rove was transferred to Rove’s office by the White House switchboard. She testified that the call was not logged by Rove’s office because Cooper had not called Rove’s office directly.
Sources say that Fitzgerald has obtained documentary evidence proving that scenario does not jibe with other unrelated calls to Rove’s office that were also transferred to his office by the switchboard but were logged.
And that knowledge that someone might be "saying too much already" and disclosing information that should not be disclosed? Well, that just might fit right into an IIPA prosecution, depending on whether that knowledge included the fact that Valerie Plame Wilson was a covert operative. If Fitz can make that nugget work, then behavior that shows Rove trying to pre-emptively cover his tracks by not properly recording the call from Matt Cooper? Well, that's just an awfully helpful little piece of information for a jury, now isn't it?
And in a not-so-surprising move, Rove's attorney, Mr. Luskin, could not be reached for comment on this to Raw Story.
Well, now isn't that interesting?
UPDATE: More on this from Richard Sale.
UPDATE #2: And just for fun, I heart Tom McGuire. This is pure gold and definitely worth the price of two cups of coffee. For all you Andrea Mitchell fans out there, this is a must see.
posted by ReddHedd @ 11/10/2005 11:25:00 AM
<< Home