Rove testifies again on CIA leak case

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WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) -- White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove reportedly told a grand jury he didn't deliberately make false statements to authorities in the CIA leak case.

Quoting sources close to the aide, The Washington Post reported Rove testified for the fifth time Wednesday before a federal grand jury on the Valerie Plame media leak case. He faced the jury for more than three hours.

The Post said Rove argued that it would have been foolish on his part to deliberately mislead investigators about his role. The sources told the newspaper Rove for the first time also told the jury about the conversations he had with his attorney on the leak of Plame's name to the media and his knowledge of it.

Rove's lawyer Robert Luskin was quoted as saying his client testified "voluntarily and unconditionally" at the behest of prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald. Lawyers involved in the case expect a decision soon on Rove, the report said.

Separately, The New York Times reported that Rove's fifth appearance, according to his lawyer, was because of "a matter" that had arisen since Rove's last appearance in October. Fitzgerald did not comment about calling Rove to testify.