Rove's Former Assistant Becomes Whistleblower, Helps

Solidify Case that Rove Misled Leak Inquiry

Note: her former job: Personal Secretary to Jack Abramoff

Jason Leopold and Larisa Alexandrovna

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will present evidence to a second
grand jury this week in his two year-old investigation into the outing of
covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson that could lead to a criminal
indictment being handed up against Karl Rove, President Bush's deputy chief
of staff, attorneys close to the investigation say.

Rove has remained under intense scrutiny because of inconsistencies in his
testimony to investigators and the grand jury. According to sources, Rove
withheld crucial facts on three separate occasions and allegedly misled
investigators about conversations he had with Time magazine reporter Matthew
Cooper.

The attorneys say that Rove's former personal assistant, Susan B. Ralston --
who was also a special assistant to President Bush -- testified in August
about why Cooper's call to Rove was not logged. Ralston said it occurred
because Cooper had phoned in through the White House switchboard and was
then transferred to Rove's office as opposed to calling Rove's office
directly. As Rove's assistant, Ralston screened Rove's calls.

But those close to the probe tell  <http://rawstory.com> RAW STORY that
Fitzgerald obtained documentary evidence showing that other unrelated calls
transferred to Rove's office by the switchboard were logged. He then called
Ralston back to testify.

Earlier this month, attorneys say Fitzgerald received additional testimony
from Ralston -- who said that Rove instructed her not to log a phone call
Rove had with Cooper about Plame in July 2003.

Ralston also provided Fitzgerald with more information and "clarification"
about several telephone calls Rove allegedly made to a few reporters,
including syndicated columnist Robert Novak, the lawyers said.

If true, this is perhaps the most significant evidence Fitzgerald has
obtained suggesting Rove deliberately sought to mislead investigators. Her
testimony may help Fitzgerald prove that there were inconsistencies in
Rove's account of his role in the leak and assess why he withheld a crucial
fact from the prosecutor: that he had spoken with Time magazine reporter
Matthew Cooper as well as Novak about Plame and confirmed that she was an
undercover CIA agent.

Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin, maintains that his client did not
intentionally withhold facts from the prosecutor or grand jury but simply
forgot about his conversations with Cooper. But sources say Rove's reasons
for not being forthcoming have not convinced Fitzgerald that Rove had a
momentary lapse.

Rove 'to be charged or make plea'

Those close to the investigation say Fitzgerald will present evidence to the
grand jury later this week obtained from other witnesses who were
interviewed by the Special Prosecutor or testified, showing that Rove made
misleading statements to Justice Department and FBI investigators in an
attempt to cover-up his role in the leak when he was first interviewed about
it in October 2003.

The most serious charges Rove appears to face are making false statements to
investigators and obstruction of justice, the sources said. Rove does not
appear to be in jeopardy of being charged with violating a law making it a
crime to leak the name of a covert CIA agent because it's unlikely that he
was aware that Plame was undercover, they added.

Rove's conversation with Cooper took place a week or so before Plame's
identity was revealed publicly in a July 14, 2003 column penned by
conservative columnist Robert Novak. Cooper wrote his own story about Plame
a few days later. In his grand jury testimony, Rove said he first learned of
Plame's name from reporters, and only after her named was published did he
discuss her CIA status with other journalists. That sequence of events,
however, turned out to be false.

Plame, who is married to former ambassador Joseph Wilson, was targeted in
effort to discredit Wilson, a vociferous critic of the administration's
prewar Iraq intelligence. After making a trip to Niger to investigate claims
that Iraq had sought to obtain uranium there, Wilson declared the claims
were spurious in a New York Times editorial. Rove, along with other senior
Bush Administration officials, discussed Wilson's wife in an attempt to
discredit and silence the ambassador by positing that his wife had arranged
the Niger trip.

Two things are clear, the sources said: either Rove will agree to enter into
a plea deal with Fitzgerald or he will be charged with a crime, but he will
not be exonerated for the role he played in the leak.

If Rove does agree to a plea, Fitzgerald is not expected to discuss any
aspect of his probe into the President's senior adviser because Rove may be
called to testify as a prosecution witness against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby,
the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. Libby was indicted
last month on five counts of lying to investigators, perjury and obstruction
of justice related to his role in the leak.

On Sunday, Time reported that another one of its reporters, Viveca Novak,
who bears no relation to Robert Novak, is cooperating with Fitzgerald's
probe and will give a deposition to Fitzgerald about a conversation she had
with Rove's attorney in May 2004.

However, Viveca Novak did not write about the Plame leak under her byline
between May and December 2004. The first time she authored or coauthored a
story about the leak was in July 2005.

Ralston previously worked as a personal secretary to Jack Abramoff, the
Republican power lobbyist now under investigation for allegedly defrauding
Indian tribes who was recently indicted on conspiracy and wire fraud
charges. While working with Abramoff, Ralston arranged fundraisers and
events at Washington MCI Center skyboxes for members of Congress and their
staff. Ralston communicated with Rove on Abramoff's behalf on tribal
affairs, though she does not stand accused of any wrongdoing.

Rove was aware that Plame was a covert agent. He is not believed to have
known that she was covert when he first spoke with reporters.