Talk Left: Rove Left Due To Legal Fees Related To Abramoff Probe

[Hissyspit]

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2007/8/14/12501/9670

Rove and His Family's Future: Paying Legal Fees
By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Tue Aug 14, 2007 at 11:50:01 AM EST

- snip -

We've never heard of a committee behind Rove like there was behind Libby to pay legal fees. And typically, those "defense trusts" don't form until after Indictment. Rove is a long way from any possible indictment in the congressional inquiries. The executive privilege battle, which his lawyers will argue cover former employees, could take years, well beyond the expiration of Bush's term.

A book makes perfect sense to me. The advance would bring Rove millions, enough to pay off his legal bills and relieve the stress of those bills on him and his family. I could see a publisher demanding that the book be done before the 2008 election for maximum sales potential. Finding the time to write the book while still working for the White House could prove difficult.

So I'm writing off criminal exposure from the Congressional investigations and "family time" as reasons for Rove to quit. But I can't write off the Abramoff probe as easily. Rove knew a year and a half ago his Abramoff connections had been and would continue to be investigated by the Justice Department, not Congress, and a federal grand jury with the power to indict.

I'm not saying Rove will be indicted in the Abramoff case. But, if he is, he wouldn't be able to stay on in the White House. And his legal bills to defend against an Indictment, when coupled with his congressional investigation legal fees, would be enormous. While I would fully expect Bush to pardon Rove, he might not do it until his remaining days in office. That leaves more than a year of legal bills for Rove to pay until then.

So, I'm going with legal bills as the real reason Rove has resigned. They affect his family, making his public explanations misleading but not a lie and square with his vow to continue fighting Congressional subpoenas and other calls for his hide.

MORE

[corbett]

1. Let's Not Forget His Senate Mission

Without disagreeing with your post, we must remember that Dubya has given Rover the mission of retaking the majority in the Senate.

On the bright side, the DCCC has begun radio ads against Tom Feeney down here in Central Florida.

[peacetalksforall]

2. Bush should pay his bills. Or is it against the law?

Man, has anyone in history used anyone as abusively as he used Rove and has anyone ever allowed themselves to be used as much as Rove did? Middleman extraodordinaire. Little boys forever - naughty, manipulative, scheming on a major human scale. Many dead. Many maimed. Many homeless. Many uninsured. Many exiled. Many tormented. Many tortured. Many to be vilified.

Lots of trees going down for all the books that will be written. Bring on the ones that are don't lie to us.

Rovian - now historical.

[PerfectSage]

3. Darn I was hoping Rove left because he was cut&running on W

Or maybe flipfloping. lol

[applegrove]

4. You may be right on re: it being about Rove having time to cash in

before the next political cycle..when nobody will care anymore. Don't know enough about Abramoff to say if Rove is in trouble with that.

[bobthedrummer]

5. Mel Sembler was Scooter's defense fund leader. n/t

[Venus Dog]

6. If he's indicted in the Abramoff case, can he use executive privilege?

I don't know the answer but was wondering if anyone else knew. If not, more and more I deeply understand why George Clooney said at the Academy Awards 2 years ago, "God bless Jack Abramoff."

He's the gift that keeps on giving.

[L. Coyote]

8. Of course he can. He'll just say, "Bush and I were discussing crimes."

Hidden in all this there is a huge Catch-22.
Rove can claim Executive Privilege for discussing Bush's crimes with Bush!! :rofl:

[L. Coyote]

7. ROVE is the "target" of an investigation, hence, he is leaving on short notice.

Call it informed opinion. I see no other real possibility. Somebody's ship ran aground in the shallows of criminality, I suspect.

The likeliest source of Rove's problem and cause of his resignation is his aide providing testimony to Congress.
All the arrows point to Rove firing the USAs, for just one thing. Also, Rove's aide was Abramoff's aide.

Sara Taylor, WH political director, Rove Aide RESIGNS? "subpoenas for her testimony" ......
MORE: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x990202

The next likeliest source of a Rove nightmare is the new investigation in Alabama:

Abramoff and Kark Rove Linked to Prosecution of Ex-Alabama Governor and Campaign Finances
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1023111

The list of real possibilities is very long, but I doubt Karl is leaving for anything less than getting the boot for something necessarily very nefarious..