No indictment for Rove Friday in CIA leak case; charges expected for Libby News
No indictment for Rove Friday in CIA leak case; charges expected for Libby

[JURIST] White House advisor Karl Rove [official profile] has been told that he will not be indicted Friday by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald [official website] in the CIA leak case [JURIST news archive], according to reports from ABC News and Sky News. Fitzgerald is expected to announce indictments [JURIST report] Friday in the two-year investigation into the leak of undercover operative Valerie Plame's identity. Administration officials could be charged for violating the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act [50 USC s. 421 text] if Fitzgerald can show that any person disclosing Plame's identity knew of her covert status. According to people briefed on the case, however, Rove will remain under investigation, which may prompt Fitzgerald to extend the term of the federal grand jury [Dayton Law backgrounder]. An indictment is expected for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby [official profile], Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff. It is thought that Libby will be charged with making false statements [JURIST report] to the grand jury, and White House officials have said that they presume Libby will resign if indicted. Friday's New York Times has more.