[From the diaries by susanhu. This is a big catch by Emmajoe. Back in August, I wrote “Stakeout at the “CIA Leak” Grand Jury,” in good part about Susan Ralston’s history with Rove et al., and it was also true then that the Filipino press had the story long before it showed up in U.S. papers.]
I just caught this story from Philippine News Online:
Top Rove aide ‘critical’ in CIA probe, dated today.
Apparently because Susan Ralston is Filipino, the foreign news service likes to keep track of her.
There is no mention of when she is expected to meet with Fitzgerald, but it makes it clear to me that Fitz isn’t done with Rove yet. … More below:
Here is a snip from the article:
WASHINGTON D.C. – Filipino American Susan Ralston, chief of-staff to presidential adviser Karl Rove, is one of nearly two dozen White House officials – including President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney – believed to have knowledge about the outing of Central Intelligence Agency operative agent Valerie Plame.
Ralston, Rove’s right-hand man, is scheduled to appear again before Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald who is investigating the circumstances surrounding the leak of Plame’s identity in the media.
Plame’s work in the CIA was revealed after her husband Ambassador Joseph Wilson challenged President Bush’s reasons for going to war in Iraq. Exposing an agent is a crime as it endangers the agent’s life as well as the security of his or her family.
Ralston appears to be a person of critical interest in the investigation, just like her boss Rove.
[ed] EmmaJoe’s story is linked at Raw Story.
I’ve been Front-paged!!! I can hardly believe it, feels like I won the lottery! Thanks susanhu!
With some of the great diaries you have written lately was there any doubt that one of them would eventually end up here?
Thank you! have a four…
EmmaJoe, I forwarded your diary and link to Raw Story. You’re now in the 2nd from the top HEADLINE at Raw Stiory. You’ve discovered something so important, we don’t know yet just how important it is. THANKS for your observant sleuthing!
Great catch indeed.
Near the bottom of the article is a casual mention of an important detail that maybe not all are as familiar with. They mat have the timing of the hiring off but she was an essential gatekeeper for access to certain officials.
Why is it that everywhere there’s a scandal connected to this administration, the name “Jack Abramoff” just keeps on coming up?
I, for one, would be very interested in any Dick Cheney-Jack Abramoff direct connections. Where did Jack come from? How much do we know about this guy?
We know way more than he wants us to know. Money laundering, fraud, involved with a contract style hit on a business partner, owned the gambling day-cruise ship that Mohammad Atta was seen about Sept 5-6 2001…..the list goes on.
Here are a few links
Scandal Visits the White House
Daily Kos: Susan Ralston Controls Abramoff’s access to Rove
Consortiumnews.com
Lou Dubose: The Pimping of the President –Jack Abramoff and Grover Norquist have been caught billing clients for face time with George W. Bush. Don’t believe it? Just follow the paper trail.
I had read this awhile ago and the idea that Ralston had worked for Abramoff was such a red flag..I know the article I read had that little tidbit that supposedly when anyone called Rove she first called Abramoff to see if it was ok for Rove to talk to them..pretty damn interesting I thought.
It bothered me a lot when I first read about the organized rackets they used to keep ‘favorites’ in the way of lobbyists and businesses that closed the Democrats/others out.
Then I got pissed about the Abramoff issues when I discovered that Grover was skimming a fee off the top for access to the top level admin and meetings.
The outrage came when I started seeing the emails of how they treated and regarded the people they exploited as the price for access kept going up.
I’ve seen heated debates about corporate taxation-tax breaks-tax exemptions for nonprofits-deficit problems and these guys were skimming millions that were part of the problem but not ever being discussed.
Grover increased his portion from about $10,000 to $25,000 one time and just casually mentioned it in a memo or email……’oh yeah, by the way….I took an extra bit for my troubles…’
Great catch Emmajoe! I love that Fitz is still interviewing Rove coherts AND that the MSM and others are not letting this die no matter how the Repubs try to distract.
Great job, EmmaJoe!!! The red hot headline on Raw! Keep those eagle eyes peeled.
I would loooove to see more waves crashing around Rove.
I’ve been reading how Bush and Cheney aren’t as close as they once were. I’m suspect of those rumours… I think Bush is just trying to seperate himself from controversy. How would he seperate himself from Rove, I wonder?
HHMM, used to work for Jack Abramoff. That just seems oh, I don’t know, a little suspicous? Damn, the plot just thickens. If it weren’t such a fucking tragedy for the U.S., I would be propping my feet up and munching on popcorn while watching the story unfold.
Susan,
You might also send it to Josh Marshall at TPM. He’s done extensive coverage on Abramoff, and I believe on Ralston as well.
Hey emmajoe, you done a fabulous job. Thanks bunches….this is very interesting to say the least.
Another account of bought influence but on a larger scale. I swear, we couldn’t make stuff up this damaging.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 - The lobbyist Jack Abramoff asked for $9 million in 2003 from the president of a West African nation to arrange a meeting with President Bush and directed his fees to a Maryland company now under federal scrutiny, according to newly disclosed documents.
The African leader, President Omar Bongo of Gabon, met with President Bush in the Oval Office on May 26, 2004, 10 months after Mr. Abramoff made the offer. There has been no evidence in the public record that Mr. Abramoff had any role in organizing the meeting or that he received any money or had a signed contract with Gabon.
Lobbyist Sought $9 Million to Set Bush Meeting