Cartoon #217: “Scooter Indictment”

Well beyond Halloween 2005, the criminals in the Bush administration will live in a fear of a monster they created.

After a two-year investigation, Chicago-based Federal Prosecuter Patrick Fitzgerald indicted Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff, Irving Lewis "Scooter" Libby on October 28, 2005. According to the indictment, Libby was the first person to reveal the name of CIA agent Valerie Plame outside the government to a reporter. Libby then lied about that crime under oath, and repeatedly.

Libby also served as Cheney’s top national security aide, and as national security advisor to the president. He was charged with five counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice. Libby immediately resigned his White House positions.

Indictments against other Bush administration officials were expected, but Fitzgerald decided to charge only Libby for now, and seat a new a new grand jury to continue his investigation. Grand juries serve for 18 months, with a six-month extension. The only other person mentioned by Fitzgerald in connection with the investigation was a senior official in the White House referred to by Fitzgerald only as “Official A”.

The Associated Press reported that “Official A” is Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, Bush’s chief advisor. Before the Libby indictiment, both he and Rove were advised by Fitzgerald that they were in extreme legal jeopardy. News reports prior to the indictment also revealed that Rove’s attorney advised Fitzgerald to reconsider going forward with an indictment of his client now. Whatever the lawyer said to him, Fitzgerald apparently was persuaded.

Fitzgerald said at his press conference, however, that Rove was not being indicted “today.”