March 06, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
DC Thugs Show Cracks: Scooter Libby Found Guilty
The former aide to VP Richard "Dick" Cheney gets four counts, faces 30 years
I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former aide to Vice President Richard "Dick" Cheney, was found guilty in the CIA leak case in which he lied to FBI agents about the identity of former CIA operative Valerie Plame. While he was not convicted of revealing her top secret identity, he was found guilty on two counts of perjury, one felony count of obstruction of justice and one count of giving false statements to the FBI.
Libby's attorneys contended that any misstatements he made were a result of overwork, stress and poor memory. The prosecution countered that Libby deliberately lied in order to cover up his role in the leak. The jury deliberated for 10 days before returning a guilty verdict on four counts.
The case was directly related to the goverment's justification for the Iraq War. Valerie Plame is married to former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who discredited false information given to the public by the Bush Administration regarding the Iraq War. In 2002, the CIA sent Wilson to Niger to investigate the US government's claims that Iraq was trying to buy nuclear components from the African country. He discovered the claims were false, and wrote an editorial in the New York Times accusing Bush of lying to the American people to justify the country's invasion of Iraq.
In the trial, prosecutors made the case that Libby was but one faction in a White House effort to discredit Wilson, by claiming his wife's classified position at the CIA led him to Niger.
Libby faces a total sentence of 30 years in prison. Bush released a statement that he was "saddened" for Libby's family; Cheney did not comment on the verdict. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated, "I welcome the jury's verdict. It's about time someone in the Bush Administration has been held accountable for the campaign to manipulat intelligence and discredit war critics. Lewis Libby has been convicted of perjury, but his trial revealed deeper truths about Vice President Cheney's role in this sordid affair. Now President Bush must pledge not to pardon Libby for his criminal conduct."
del.icio.us
digg
Furl
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Previous: Suge Knight Charged With Drug PossessionPage printed from:
http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2007/03/libby_found_guilty/
Celeb of the Day
Soulja Boy
Government Name: DeAndre "Soulja Boy Tell 'Em" Way
Hometown: Batesville, Mississippi
More Celebrities
|
|
|
|
Comments
1.
bananapeel says:
so glad I can come to vibe and find REAL info like this.
March 6, 2007 at 5:23 pm
2.
bananapeel says:
so glad I can come to vibe and find REAL info like this.
March 6, 2007 at 5:21 pm
3.
bananapeel says:
so glad I can come to vibe and find REAL info like this.
March 6, 2007 at 5:19 pm