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Will Karl Rove Be Indicted?

October 6, 2005

The beltway is all atwitter today over the possiblity that Karl Rove may be headed for an indictment.

Federal prosecutors have accepted an offer from presidential adviser Karl Rove to give 11th hour testimony in the case of a CIA officer's leaked identity but have warned they cannot guarantee he won't be indicted, according to people directly familiar with the investigation.

The persons, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because of grand jury secrecy, said Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has not made any decision yet on whether to file criminal charges against the longtime confidant of President Bush or others.

The U.S. attorney's manual requires prosecutors not to bring witnesses before a grand jury if there is a possibility of future criminal charges unless they are notified in advance that their grand jury testimony can be used against them in a later indictment. Rove has already made at least three grand jury appearances and his return at this late stage in the investigation is unusual.

The prosecutor did not give Rove similar warnings before his earlier grand jury appearances.

Being hauled in front of the grand jury for the fourth time is not a good sign, according to former prosecutors. Lawrence O'Donnell of the Huffington Post says that Rove's actions clearly indicate that he fears an indictment. No one in his right mind volunteers to go before a grand jury so many times, unless he's trying to stave off an indictment. O'Donnell also says that being asked to testify at the end of an investigation is the same as being asked to come in to negotiate a deal.

Next week should be a very interesting week.

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