This UPI story says that the FBI has “hard evidence” that “Scooter” Libby, Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, and his assistant John Hannah broke federal laws in connection with the exposure of the identity of Valerie Plame. The story says the Bureau is putting the squeeze on Hannah to try to make him talk.
Josh Marshall and Kevin Drum seem pleased. But if this stays in the VPs office, I’d call that very good news for Mr. Bush. The staff guys can be fired. If necessary, Cheney can be dumped from the ticket (which might not be a bad move anyway). Of course, if (as Kevin hopefully suggests) Hannah were to implicate Cheney himself, that would be very bad news for Bush.
Question, to which I don’t know the answer: Does Ashcroft have a relationship with Libby that would account for Ashcroft’s recusal? If not, then either Kevin is right and Cheney is in trouble, or I was right before and Rove is still a target.
Breaking Plame news
UPI's Richard Sale has breaking news on the Plame investigation: Federal law-enforcement officials said that they have developed hard evidence of possible criminal misconduct by two employees of Vice President Dick Cheney's office related to the unlawf…