Lewis Libby Won’t Go to Jail

The Guardian - Saved from prison by Bush's favour: the White House aide who lied to a grand jury

George Bush created a political storm yesterday by intervening to stop the disgraced White House aide, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, from going to jail. The president, in a statement, said the prison sentence imposed on Mr Libby, who was found guilty of perjury in a complex spy case linked to the Iraq war, was too harsh.

He commuted Mr Libby's jail sentence, but did not grant him a pardon. Mr Libby still faces a $250,000 (£125,000) fine and will remain on probation.

AP - Bush won't rule out full Libby pardon

President Bush on Tuesday refused to rule out an eventual pardon for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, leaving open the chance he may wipe away the former White House aide's criminal record after already erasing his prison sentence.

"I rule nothing in or nothing out," Bush said when asked about whether he might pardon Libby before leaving office in January 2009.

President Clinton pardoned 140 people on his last day in office, including fugitive financier Marc Rich — whose lawyer was Libby.

On Christmas Eve in 1992, just before he left office, the first President Bush pardoned former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and a CIA official as they awaited trial on Iran-Contra charges, as well as four other administration officials who had pleaded or been found guilty in the affair.

My previous post about Libby can be seen here.

Lewis Libby Sentenced

Reuters - Ex-Cheney aide sentenced to 30 months in leak case

A former top aide to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney was sentenced on Tuesday to 2 1/2 years in prison for lying and obstructing an investigation related to the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton imposed the stiff sentence on Lewis "Scooter" Libby for lying to investigators trying to determine who leaked the identity of CIA analyst Valerie Plame in 2003.

Walton also imposed a fine of $250,000 and two years probation.

A spokeswoman for President George W. Bush, who could pardon Libby, said Bush had no plans to intervene in the case while the appeals process continues.

A hearing was set for next week on whether Libby can remain out of prison as he appeals.

That process could last until nearly the end of Bush's second and final term in office, when he would presumably be more free to pardon his vice president's one-time top assistant.

"I find it very plausible that we're going to see a pardon right in that window after the election and before the president leaves office" in January 2009, said Scott Fredricksen, a former government lawyer.

Reuters - White House: Bush won't intervene now in Libby case

President George W. Bush does not plan to intervene in the case of a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney while the appeals process is still under way, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

My previous post on Lewis Libby can be seen here.