No indictment for Rove Friday in CIA leak case; charges expected for Libby News
No indictment for Rove Friday in CIA leak case; charges expected for Libby

[JURIST] White House advisor Karl Rove [official profile] has been told that he will not be indicted Friday by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald [official website] in the CIA leak case [JURIST news archive], according to reports from ABC News and Sky News. Fitzgerald is expected to announce indictments [JURIST report] Friday in the two-year investigation into the leak of undercover operative Valerie Plame's identity. Administration officials could be charged for violating the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act [50 USC s. 421 text] if Fitzgerald can show that any person disclosing Plame's identity knew of her covert status. According to people briefed on the case, however, Rove will remain under investigation, which may prompt Fitzgerald to extend the term of the federal grand jury [Dayton Law backgrounder]. An indictment is expected for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby [official profile], Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff. It is thought that Libby will be charged with making false statements [JURIST report] to the grand jury, and White House officials have said that they presume Libby will resign if indicted. Friday's New York Times has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.