Newsweek‘s Michael Isikoff reports:
White House anxiety is mounting over the prospect that top officialsâincluding deputy chief of staff Karl Rove and counselor Dan Bartlett-may be forced to provide potentially awkward testimony in the perjury and obstruction trial of Lewis (Scooter) Libby.
Both Rove and Bartlett have already received trial subpoenas from Libbyâs defense lawyers, according to lawyers close to the case who asked not to be identified talking about sensitive matters. While that is no guarantee they will be called, the odds increased this week after Libbyâs lawyer, Ted Wells, laid out a defense resting on the idea that his client, Vice President Dick Cheneyâs former chief of staff, had been made a âscapegoatâ to protect Rove.