Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, its apparent that Rove realized the importance of covering his tracks while he was leaking to reporters in the summer of 2003. Here lies the missing link to this puzzle.
In a November 28, 2005, article in Raw Story, Jason Leopold and Larisa Alexandrovna, who have doggedly investigated this matter, reported that Rove's former personal assistant, Susan Ralston, whose job it was to screen Rove's phone calls at the White House, had previously testified that Cooper's call to Rove was not logged in because Cooper had called through the White House switchboard and was transferred to Rove's office, as opposed to calling Rove's office directly.
But citing "those close to the probe," the Raw Story article noted, "that Fitzgerald obtained documentary evidence showing that other unrelated calls transferred to Rove's office by the switchboard were logged."
In addition, in a July 25, 2005, Time Magazine article titled, "What I Told The Grand Jury," Cooper recounts his recollection of what happened when he called the White House.
"I recall calling Rove from my office at TIME magazine," Cooper wrote, "through the White House switchboard and being transferred to his office."
"I believe a woman answered the phone and said words to the effect that Rove wasn't there or was busy before going on vacation," he said.
"But then, I recall," Cooper said, "she said something like, "Hang on," and I was transferred to him."
"I recall," Cooper wrote, "saying something like, "I'm writing about Wilson," before he interjected, "Don't get too far out on Wilson."
No doubt in light of these discoveries, Fitzgerald invited Ms Ralston for a return engagement with the grand jury.
According to Raw Story, while testifying the second time, Ralston said that Rove instructed her not to log in the call from Cooper and she also provided information about other calls between Rove and reporters, including Robert Novak.
It should be noted here that Ms Ralston was hired by Rove after she came highly recommended from his good friend: Jack Abramoff, for whom Ms Ralston performed similar duties "-- that is until Abramoff realized she'd be far more useful embedded in the West Wing," according to Rolling Stone Magazine.
After his chat with Viveca, Attorney Luskin reportedly orchestrated a search for any record of a conversation between Rove and Cooper and low and behold, an e-mail from Rove to senior White House official, Stephen Hadley surfaced, that provided detail of a conversation between Rove and Cooper that took place before Valerie was outed by Robert Novak.
There has been much speculation about when the Rove-Hadley email was found and when it was turned over to Fitzgerald. In her December 19, article, Viveca claims that she did not find out until the fall of 2005, that her remark to Luskin had led to a search for evidence that Rove and Cooper had talked.
"According to Luskin," Viveca wrote in the article, "he turned the e-mail over to Fitzgerald when he found it, leading Rove to acknowledge before the grand jury in October 2004 that he had indeed spoken with Cooper."
The fact that Rove was not charged on the spot for this slick trick, shows that he got another get-out-of-jail-free card because he had been ordered to turn over all emails to the special prosecutor just like everyone else in the White House.
"On October 3, 2003," according to a memo authored by Andy Card, then White House Chief of Staff, "every employee in the Executive Office of the President received instructions from Counsel's office about obligations to search for and provide documents that may be related to the Justice Department's investigation."
In a November 28, 2005, article in Raw Story, Jason Leopold and Larisa Alexandrovna, who have doggedly investigated this matter, reported that Rove's former personal assistant, Susan Ralston, whose job it was to screen Rove's phone calls at the White House, had previously testified that Cooper's call to Rove was not logged in because Cooper had called through the White House switchboard and was transferred to Rove's office, as opposed to calling Rove's office directly.
But citing "those close to the probe," the Raw Story article noted, "that Fitzgerald obtained documentary evidence showing that other unrelated calls transferred to Rove's office by the switchboard were logged."
In addition, in a July 25, 2005, Time Magazine article titled, "What I Told The Grand Jury," Cooper recounts his recollection of what happened when he called the White House.
"I believe a woman answered the phone and said words to the effect that Rove wasn't there or was busy before going on vacation," he said.
"But then, I recall," Cooper said, "she said something like, "Hang on," and I was transferred to him."
"I recall," Cooper wrote, "saying something like, "I'm writing about Wilson," before he interjected, "Don't get too far out on Wilson."
No doubt in light of these discoveries, Fitzgerald invited Ms Ralston for a return engagement with the grand jury.
According to Raw Story, while testifying the second time, Ralston said that Rove instructed her not to log in the call from Cooper and she also provided information about other calls between Rove and reporters, including Robert Novak.
It should be noted here that Ms Ralston was hired by Rove after she came highly recommended from his good friend: Jack Abramoff, for whom Ms Ralston performed similar duties "-- that is until Abramoff realized she'd be far more useful embedded in the West Wing," according to Rolling Stone Magazine.
After his chat with Viveca, Attorney Luskin reportedly orchestrated a search for any record of a conversation between Rove and Cooper and low and behold, an e-mail from Rove to senior White House official, Stephen Hadley surfaced, that provided detail of a conversation between Rove and Cooper that took place before Valerie was outed by Robert Novak.
There has been much speculation about when the Rove-Hadley email was found and when it was turned over to Fitzgerald. In her December 19, article, Viveca claims that she did not find out until the fall of 2005, that her remark to Luskin had led to a search for evidence that Rove and Cooper had talked.
"According to Luskin," Viveca wrote in the article, "he turned the e-mail over to Fitzgerald when he found it, leading Rove to acknowledge before the grand jury in October 2004 that he had indeed spoken with Cooper."
The fact that Rove was not charged on the spot for this slick trick, shows that he got another get-out-of-jail-free card because he had been ordered to turn over all emails to the special prosecutor just like everyone else in the White House.
"On October 3, 2003," according to a memo authored by Andy Card, then White House Chief of Staff, "every employee in the Executive Office of the President received instructions from Counsel's office about obligations to search for and provide documents that may be related to the Justice Department's investigation."
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