scooter libby attorney who put him away

Full Answer

Who is Scooter Libby?

Libby is an attorney who served in the George W. Bush administration, most notably as Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. The 67-year-old lawyer served in the Bush administration from 2001 to 2005, but resigned after he was indicted by a grand jury on five counts for perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to the FBI.

Is Scooter Libby in jail?

No. Libby was convicted in 2007 for obstruction and perjury over his role in the Plame investigation. He was given a prison sentence of 2 and a half years, but President George W. Bush granted him clemency, although it was not a full pardon. So while Libby did not end up serving time in jail, he was still on probation for 2 years and paid a fine of $250,000.

Who prosecuted Scooter Libby?

Compare this whole sordid affair, where the DOJ assigned a Special Prosecutor to prosecute Scooter Libby for a crime they knew he did not commit, to Eric Holder's response to far more egregious criminal activity "allegedly" committed by officials in his DOJ and Obama's administration.

Who was the Special Counsel in the 2007 trial of Scooter Libby?

A revelation in journalist Judith Miller’s new memoir, “The Story: A Reporter’s Journey,” exposes unscrupulous conduct by Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald in the 2007 trial of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby. Ms. Miller, a former New York Times reporter, writes that Mr. Fitzgerald induced her to give what she now realizes was false testimony.

Why did Fitzgerald insist on Libby?

Perhaps Mr. Fitzgerald persisted because Mr. Libby never was his prime target. In Ms. Miller’s memoir, she reports that Mr. Libby’s lawyer, Joseph Tate, told her that, as she writes, “Fitzgerald had twice offered to drop all charges against Libby if his client would agree to ‘deliver’ Cheney to him.”

How long was Lewis Libby in jail?

Mr. Libby’s sentence included a $250,000 fine, 30 months in jail and 400 hours of community service. President George W. Bush commuted the prison sentence but declined to pardon him. U.S. v. I. Lewis Libby is worth revisiting to set the record straight.

Why did jurors presume Libby's innocence?

Nevertheless, jurors, who were obligated to presume defendant Libby’s innocence and convict him only if the government proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt, found him guilty. One explanation is that the climate of opinion in Washington may have prevented Mr. Libby from getting a fair trial.

How many Democrats were on the jury in the Fitzgerald case?

Based on a review of public records made available to Mr. Libby’s legal team, the jury comprised 11 Democrats and a member of the Green Party. Given the severe flaws marking the testimony of Mr. Fitzgerald’s prosecution witnesses, the verdict raises the possibility that the jurors were incapable of evaluating the evidence in a dispassionate and impartial manner.

How long did Fitzgerald go to jail for?

Miller, at the time a New York Times foreign correspondent, for 85 days to obtain evidence against her sources, one of whom was Mr. Libby.

What did Wilson say about Libby?

Wilson has said he believes Libby may have been part of a White House campaign to "smear" him.

Where did Libby work?

Before he worked for Cheney, Libby was a managing partner at the international law firm Dechert, Price and Rhoads.

How many kids does Libby have?

In addition to his interest in creative writing, Libby, who is married and has two children, is also an avid skier.

Why did Judith Miller go to jail?

Times reporter Judith Miller, who recently testified in the leak investigation, spent 85 days in jail for refusing to reveal her source, who turned out to be Libby.

Who was Plame's husband?

Plame's diplomat husband, Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of outing his wife to discredit him for accusing the administration of twisting intelligence to justify the Iraq war in a New York Times opinion piece on July 6, 2003.

What was Scooter Libby convicted of?

Scooter Libby was convicted of dubious process crimes [one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury, and one count of making false statements], all were instigated by the special prosecutor in his case. The special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald knew Libby was innocent of the original crime but ignored that and decided to not prosecute the guilty party.

Why was Scooter Libby pardoned?

Scooter Libby was pardoned for a process crime tied to a crime he should have never been investigated for. But there was a special prosecutor in the case. Once there is a special prosecutor or counsel, s/he has to justify his/her existence. Someone important has to be found guilty of something.

Who was the leaker in the Libby investigation?

Colin Powell’s deputy Richard Armitage was the leaker. Powell and Armitage never told the president, the Attorney General, or the public what Armitage had done. He sat silently as the investigation played out and as Karl Rove and Libby were ensnared by the investigation. This was a “crime” for which Armitage should have been prosecuted – if anyone.

Did President Trump pardon Scooter Libby?

Former Vice President Cheney’s Chief of Staff Scooter Libby was pardoned by President Trump today, a pardon that should have been granted years ago. Former president George Bush commuted his sentence but did not pardon him. That caused a rift between Cheney and Bush. Cheney’s reaction to the pardon was one of gratitude. This case is a great example of why special prosecutors and special counsels are a bad idea.