The Latest on Rove

MSNBC’s David Shuster reported Monday night that Karl Rove’s legal team is expecting Patrick Fitzgerald to make a decision anytime about their client’s fate.

Raw Story provides the transcript.

Video at Crooks and Liars.

Rove spokesman Mark Corallo tells Talkleft that there isn't any indication it's imminent and they have no expectation on the timing anymore.

Meanwhile, Jason Leopold's story at Truthout alleging that Karl Rove was already indicted on perjury charges as early as eleven days ago continues to make waves because there is still no indication that it actually happened.

Truthout's executive director Mark Ash was finally compelled to make a partial apology last Friday. Although Ash refuses to flat out call Leopold's story wrong in an interview with Salon, he vowed they would hold back until they receive official confirmation.

As for the Rove camp, it has categorically claimed that Leopold's story is false, with Rove's lawyer Robert Luskin telling WaPo's Howard Kurtz that:

...he spent most of the day on May 12 taking his cat to the veterinarian and having a technician fix his computer at home.

He was stunned, therefore, when journalists started calling to ask about an online report that he had spent half the day at his law office, negotiating with Patrick Fitzgerald -- and that the special prosecutor had secretly obtained an indictment of Rove.

Kurtz took the opportunity to do some blog bashing, claiming that "while no other news organization touched the report, word spread through blogs and Internet sites". WSJ's Anne Marie Squeo gladly joined in, even though left wing blogs, like big leaguers Peter Daou and Daily Kos, were largely skeptical of Leopold and his story.

Truthout's Mark Ash again issued another statement yesterday, outlining what they know and what they believe regarding Rove's supposed indictment. He also made this explosive claim:

Further - and again this is "What We Believe" - Rove may be turning state's evidence. We suspect that the scope of Fitzgerald's investigation may have broadened - clearly to Cheney - and according to one "off the record source" to individuals and events not directly related to the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame. We believe that the indictment which does exist against Karl Rove is sealed. Finally, we believe that there is currently a great deal of activity in the Plame investigation.

Since Fitzgerald runs a tight ship (a stark contrast to the sleazy way Ken Starr conducted his investigation of Bill Clinton), there's just no way to confirm the indictment, but I do think Rove willl be indicted. He was before the grand jury five times and Fitzgerald has refused to assure him he's in the clear, just some of the telltale signs that an indictment is imminent.

However, what's at issue with Leopold's story is not just Rove's alleged indictment but that he was already indicted on May 12th. It's becoming more difficult to believe Leopold as the days pass, as it defies credulity that only he has sources that can confirm a story this huge.

Truthout would do itself a favor by keeping mum for now.

Image: AP/Gerald Herbert.

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