Washington – The decision by a special prosecutor not to bring charges against Karl Rove in the CIA leak case followed months of intense, behind-the-scenes maneuvering between the prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, and Rove’s lawyer, according to lawyers in the case.
The move, made public early Tuesday by Rove’s lawyer, Robert Luskin, brought a surprise ending to the investigation of Rove, President Bush’s senior adviser. At one point last fall, Rove seemed close to facing perjury charges over lapses in his early testimony about a conversation with a Time magazine reporter.
Fitzgerald’s decision left Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, alone among current and former White House officials still facing legal jeopardy in the 3-year-old CIA leak case.
Fitzgerald announced in a letter to Luskin on Monday that he would not indict Rove, who had testified on five occasions to a federal grand jury about his involvement in the disclosure of CIA intelligence officer Valerie Plame’s identity.
After months in which the case has been a major distraction to the White House, the decision frees Rove in his role as Bush’s top strategist during the crucial midterm elections this year.
Luskin declined to address the legal issues surrounding the case but said, “We believe that the special counsel’s decision should put an end to the baseless speculation about Mr. Rove’s conduct.”
Fitzgerald’s decision is not expected to affect the legal case against Libby, who is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice.