An embattled White House braced itself today for criminal charges against Vice President Dick Cheney’s top aide in an investigation of the leak of an undercover CIA officer’s identity.

White House officials today braced for the possibility that Vice President Dick Cheney’s top aide would be indicted in the CIA leak case, but held out hope presidential confidant Karl Rove might escape charges for the time being.

Working against the clock, US special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is weighing criminal charges against top presidential aides at the end of a two-year investigation that put the White House in a state of high suspense.

US VICE President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff could face obstruction and other charges over exchanges with a New York Times reporter people close to the case said yesterday.

US PRESIDENT George W Bush vowed yesterday that anyone found to have committed a crime regarding the leak of a CIA agent’s identity will be sacked from his administration.