Scott McClellan has been
repeating similar variations of this reason for not commenting further on Rove/Plame matters:
there were preferences expressed by those overseeing the investigation that we refrain from commenting on it while they're continuing to look at -- investigate it.
McClellan NEVER specifically said the Special Prosecutor or Fitzgerald or his office asked the White House not to comment, and Fitzgerald's office will NOT confirm this. So why does the press continue to assume McClellan is referring to Fitzgerald as "those overseeing the investigation"? Fitzgerald is a Special Prosecutor within the Department of Justice, who ultimately still reports to Alberto Gonzales. Is Gonzales reprising his White House Counsel role here?
McClellan had a
close call on July 11:
Q Scott, was it -- who in the investigation made this request of the White House not to comment further about the investigation? Was it Mr. Fitzgerald? Did he make the request of you --
MR. McCLELLAN: I mean, you can ask -- you can direct those questions to the special prosecutors. I think probably more than one individual who's involved in overseeing the investigation had expressed a preference that we not get into commenting on the investigation while it's ongoing. I think we all want to see the prosecutors get to the bottom of this matter. The President wants to see the prosecutors get to the bottom of this matter. And the way to help them do that is to not get into commenting on it while it is ongoing.
Q Was the request made of you, or of whom in the White House?
MR. McCLELLAN: I already responded to these questions.
And another on July 13:
Q Scott, I've spoken to one person at least who says that when -- after being interviewed by the special prosecutor was asked not to discuss subjects, the substance of their interview, but was free to talk about this investigation more broadly. So my question is, has the White House been asked by the special prosecutor not to talk about specific testimony, or to discuss nothing about this at all?
MR. McCLELLAN: These questions came up the last couple of days, and again --
Q But you haven't been explicit. Did the special prosecutor say to the White House --
MR. McCLELLAN: Again --
Q -- don't discuss this?
MR. McCLELLAN: I want to help the investigation proceed and come to a successful conclusion. And the best way to do that, as I've said, not only the last couple of days, but going back nearly two years, is to not get into discussing the investigation from this podium, and those questions --
Q Because the prosecutor asked you not to?
MR. McCLELLAN: And those questions I've been through the last couple of days, this morning, and there's really nothing to add. And I appreciate it, but we've exhausted this discussion, I think. And we need to let that investigation proceed.
And yet again on July 18:
Q Has the special prosecutor made any request to this White House that prevents the President from speaking to his top aides about any topic?
MR. McCLELLAN: You can ask the prosecutors those questions, if they want to comment more on it.
Note that McClellan knows very well that Fitzgerald's office will not confirm or deny this, and it is therefore always a safe tactic to redirect questions there. Note also that there was no follow-up question about anyone else outside of the special prosecutor's office making this request, including the Attorney General. So this line of inquiry is unfinished.
Who will ask McClellan about just who he understands to be "those overseeing the investigation"?