KARL ROVE INVESTIGATION

December 8, 2005 -- Special prosecutor continues to focus on Karl Rove. Special prosecutor in CIA Leakgate Patrick Fitzgerald today deposed Newsweek reporter Viveca Novak (no relation to columnist Robert Novak who was the first to write about the identity of Valerie Plame Wilson) at the Massachusetts Avenue offices of Janis Schuelke & Weschler.

Of note, Enron's former Treasurer Ben Glisan, a principal of Enron's "LJM" partnership contrivance and colleague of Andrew Fastow, was represented by Viveca Novak's attorney Hank Schuelke. Janis Schuelke & Weschler was also retained by Greenberg Traurig in the Jack Abramoff matter involving Abramoff's shakedown of Indian tribes over casino deals.

Rove: Under Special Prosecutor Spotlight Once Again

Yesterday, accompanied by a phalanx of three deputy marshals and an FBI agent, Fitzgerald entered the grand jury room at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Court House in Washington, DC with boxes of documents in tow. Viveca Novak was first introduced by Karl Rove's attorney Robert Luskin to Fitzgerald as someone with information to bolster Rove's contention that he did not leak Mrs. Wilson's name and identity. Fitzgerald is also focusing on testimony from Rove's former secretary Susan Ralston, a one-time aide to Jack Abramoff at the law firm Greenberg Traurig who was recently reported to have been moved by the White House from Deputy Assistant to the President to the Commerce Department.

Last Friday, Fitzgerald, in an unusual move, deposed Luskin. It is rare when a target's own attorney is subject to a prosecutor's investigation.

Many observers see the Viveca Novak testimony as a ploy to extend the clock for Rove. The fact that a new grand jury is sitting and is seeing evidence about Rove, indicates that "Bush's brain" is far from being out of the woods in the criminal investigation of the leak.

THE WAYNE MADSEN REPORT