Sources close to the Chicago federal grand jury probe into perjury and obstruction charges against President Bush and others said indictments were handed down this week, but a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois refused to comment.

“We are not talking about any aspect of this case and our office is not commenting on anything regarding the investigation at this time,” said Randall Sanborn from the office of U.S. federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, the attorney conducting the grand jury probe into whether Bush and others in his administration violated federal law in a number of sensitive areas, including the Valerie Plame CIA leak case, involvement in 9/11 and the illegal nature of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In December 2003, Fitzgerald was named Special Counsel to investigate the alleged disclosure of the identity of who leaked information in the Plame case, but the present grand jury probe has expanded to include the wide-reaching crime allegations as new information surfaced.

Although the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago is staying silent, it is well known that Fitzgerald is digging deep into an assortment of serious improprieties among many Bush administration figures based, in part, on subpoenaed testimony provided by former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

According to federal whistleblower Tom Heneghen, who recently reported on www.truthradio.com, Powell testified before the citizen grand jury that President Bush had taken the U.S. to war illegally based on lies, which is a capital crime involving treason under the U.S. Code.

“Regarding the Powell testimony, there is no comment,” said Sanborn.

However, sources close to the federal grade jury probe also allegedly told Heneghen a host of administration figures besides Bush were also indicted, including Vice-President Richard Cheney, Chief of Staff Andrew Card, Cheney Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, imprisoned New York Times reporter Judith Miller and former Senior Cheney advisor Mary Matalin.

Heneghen, unavailable for comment and first reported by internet reporter Tom Flocco, allegedly also told sources White House Advisor Karl Rove was indicted for perjury in a major document shredding operation cover-up and that Prime Minister Tony Blair was also indicted for obstruction of justice charges.

Heneghen also claimed that Blair failed to honor a subpoena issued by Fitzpatrick and is now consulting with British legal counsel on how to avoid appearing in Chicago.

In recent weeks, there has been much controversy over Fitzgerald’s wide reaching probe which is extending far beyond the Bush administration to include what some have called “a wholesale cleansing” of a crime-laden White House and Congress.

Fitzgerald’s investigation is said to be also centered on members of the 9/11 Commission, members on both sides of the isle in the House and Senate and also select high-powered members of the media.

Needless to say, members close to the administration are ‘fighting mad” with Fitzgerald and reports on Capital Hill are that Senate intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts is trying to derail Fitzgerald’s probe by calling him to testify before the Senate regarding his true motives behind the investigation.

Political observers are now wondering whether administration-friendly Republican legislators, some under investigation themselves, are conspiring like President Nixon did in Watergate with Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, attempting to fire Fitzgerald in the same manner in order to cool the heat on further investigations into Bush administration crimes.

Last week, other sources close to the investigation said the recent bomb scare in the subway under the Dirksen Federal Building, coincidently near where Fitzgerald was holding his grand jury hearings, raised serious questions as to whether government operatives loyal to Bush were sending the zealous prosecutor a “warning message” that he was entering murky waters with the extent of his investigation.

The bomb scare was reported to local police late Monday afternoon, July 18, causing the subway to be evacuated for approximately 45 minutes while bomb sniffing dogs and swat team members searched for what was reported to be “a suspicious package” left on one of the subway cars.

Besides Fitzgerald’s probe into Bush administration lies relating to 9/11, the war in Iraq and the CIA-Valerie Plame leaks, he is also looking into a huge drug money laundering operation involving both the Clinton and Bush administrations with ties reaching all the way to Arkansas.

Fitzgerald began serving as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in September, 2001. He was initially appointed on an interim basis by former Attorney General John Ashcroft before being nominated by President Bush.

The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination by unanimous consent in October 2001. In December 2003, he was named Special Counsel to investigate the CIA- Valerie Plame case.