Conflicting clues: Fitzgerald met with judge; has he notified targets?

More tea leaves on the Plame probe.

Published October 26, 2005 8:27PM (EDT)

CBS News correspondent John Roberts is reporting that Patrick Fitzgerald "has informed targets of the investigation of his intentions -- and that can only mean indictments are coming." Maybe, maybe not. CNN is reporting that the clerk of the U.S. District Court in Washington has confirmed that Fitzgerald met for about half an hour today with Chief Judge Thomas Hogan -- which could mean that the prosecutor is seeking an extension of the grand jury term that would otherwise expire Friday.

Update: So can we expect indictments or an extension? How about both? As several readers -- and the Huffington Posts's Lawrence O'Donnell -- have noted, it's possible that Fitzgerald will obtain some indictments this week while simultaneously extending the term of the grand jury so that he can investigate further or more broadly down the road. That possibility leads to a question that the White House can't be too excited about considering: What if indictments of the likes of Karl Rove or Scooter Libby are only the beginning?

Update 2: Although neither Hogan's office nor Fitzgerald's office will comment on what transpired during the meeting betweeen the judge and prosecutor, CBS is now reporting -- without attribution -- that Fitzgerald was not seeking an extension from Hogan.


By Tim Grieve

Tim Grieve is a senior writer and the author of Salon's War Room blog.

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