Former Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL) revealed yesterday that Karl Rove pressured him in 2001 to choose a U.S. Attorney who he believed would be lenient in probing state corruption, the Chicago Tribune reports. Fitzgerald ended up choosing Patrick Fitzgerald (no relation), who was later named Special Prosecutor in the CIA leak case.
From the Tribune:
[Rove told Sen. Fitzgerald] in the spring of 2001 that he should limit his choice for U.S. attorney in Chicago to someone from Illinois.
According to Fitzgerald, who was determined to bring in a prosecutor from outside the state, Rove “just said we don’t want you going outside the state. We don’t want to be moving U.S. attorneys around.”
Fitzgerald said he believes Rove was trying to influence the selection in reaction to pressure from Rep. Dennis Hastert, then speaker of the House, and allies of then-Gov. George Ryan, who knew Fitzgerald was seeking someone from outside Illinois to attack political corruption.
Fitzgerald said he announced his choice, Patrick Fitzgerald, a New Yorker, on May 13, a Mother’s Day Sunday, to pre-empt any opposition.
According to Peter Fitzgerald, a year or so later, Karl Rove “said to me that Fitzgerald appointment got great headlines for you, but it ticked off the base.” Peter Fitzgerald said he believes the “base” was Illinois Republican insiders “upset at the prosecutor’s assault on corruption.”
Little did Rove know that Fitzgerald would be ticking him and the White House off two years later.
(HT: TP reader Linda)
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