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Luskin Asked Fitz to Question His Pal Viveca

By Jeralyn, Section Valerie Plame Leak Case
Posted on Mon Nov 28, 2005 at 09:07:52 PM EST
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I started a post earlier that I didn't get to finish because of an intervening radio interview on Tookie William's clemency petition, that began,

Since Viveca Novak is cooperating with Fitzgerald's probe regarding her conversations with Luskin, for all we know, she is corroborating something Luskin told her or she told Luskin -- or something Rove told Fitz or the grand jury -- rather than attacking it. Unlikely, I know, but still it's one possible explanation.

When I came back to it a few minutes ago, I had all but decided to delete it as being too far-fetched when I got an e-mail from Raw Story asking me if I had seen tomorrow's Washington Post article by Jim VanderHei. I hadn't seen it and now that I've read it, my abandoned post may not be far fetched after all. Vanderhei reports Luskin and Viveca Novak are friends and Luskin asked Fitz to talk to her about something he told her:

The reporter for Time magazine who recently agreed to testify in the CIA leak case is central to White House senior adviser Karl Rove's effort to fend off an indictment in the two-year-old investigation, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Viveca Novak, who has written intermittently about the leak case for Time, has been asked to provide sworn testimony to Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald in the next few weeks after Rove attorney Robert Luskin told Fitzgerald about a conversation he had with her, the two sources said.

What could it be? Unknown, but Vanderhei reports it was disclosed by Luskin to Fitz during their 11th hour not-so-secret conference days before Libby's indictment and resulted in Fitz agreeing to hold off on indicting Rove. Jane at Firedoglake isn't buying the Rove exoneration story one bit.

I'm just waiting now for Bob Woodward to pop back up in the story. I you remember, rather than giving a big scoop on why his source came clean to his own paper, Woodward gave it to....Viveca Novak of Time.

For different takes, see Jane of Firedoglake who believes Luskin is in the doghouse with Fitzgerald; Reddhedd at Firedoglake who also is less than impressed with Luskin's loose lips; Raw Story's report; Empty Wheel; and Unclaimed Territory who differs with Tom Maguire's take.

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    • Luskin Asked Fitz to Question His Pal Viveca | 1 comment (1 topical)
    Re: Luskin Asked Fitz to Question His Pal Viveca (none / 0) (#1)
    by Tom Maguire on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:30 PM EST
    As to whether the leates WaPo is true,there was this tidbit in the original TIME story: Fitzgerald is still trying to tie up the loose ends on Karl Rove's involvement in the case. If Luskin gave Fitzgerald a preview of Viveca Vovak's story last October, or submitted a written statement from her, getting her testimony on the record and under oath would certainly be a "loose end". As to a Woodward connection - maybe it is as simple as Woodward preferring to talk to a reporter who is compatibly skeptical about the Fitzgerald investigation.

    Luskin Asked Fitz to Question His Pal Viveca | 1 comment (1 topical)