Another crucial detail from the documents just released: the White House is also complicit.
On February 22, Kyle Sampson wrote, “Because this letter mentions Rove and alludes to Harriet, I’d like to send it to [the White House Counsel’s Office] today for their review, with an eye on getting it out tomorrow.” The letter was sent the next day.
The mention of Rove, of course, was that he wasn’t involved in the appointment of his former aide as U.S. attorney, something shown to be false by the Justice Department emails.
Reacting to the released documents, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said:
“The plot continues to thicken. It seems the Justice Department rarely acted without the knowledge and approval of the White House. In effect, the White House was involved in denying its own involvement. This makes the need for Karl Rove, Harriet Miers, and others in the White House to testify under oath, with transcripts even greater.”