Posted on 05/25/2007 2:37:40 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has shown no remorse for corrupting the legal system and deserves to spend 2 1/2 to 3 years in prison for obstructing the CIA leak investigation, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said Friday.
Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney and an assistant to President Bush, is the highest-ranking White House official convicted since the Iran-Contra affair two decades ago.
In court documents, Fitzgerald rejected criticism from Libby's supporters who said the leak investigation had spun out of control. Fitzgerald denied the prosecution was politically motivated and said Libby brought his fate upon himself.
"The judicial system has not corruptly mistreated Mr. Libby," Fitzgerald wrote. "Mr. Libby has been found by a jury of his peers to have corrupted the judicial system."
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, who has a reputation for handing down tough sentences, has broad discretion over Libby's fate. Walton faces two important questions: whether to send Libby to prison and, if so, whether to delay the sentence until his appeals have run out.
Libby's lawyers have not filed their sentencing documents yet but are expected to ask that he receive no jail time. They have said that if Walton orders prison time, they will ask that Libby be allowed to remain free during appeals.
Libby was convicted in March of lying to investigators about what he told reporters regarding CIA officer Valerie Plame, whose 2003 exposure touched off the leak probe. Plame was identified in a newspaper column after her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, began criticizing the Bush administration's prewar intelligence on Iraq.
Libby "lied repeatedly and blatantly about matters at the heart of a criminal investigation concerning the disclosure of a covert intelligence officer's identity," Fitzgerald wrote. "He has shown no regret for his actions, which significantly impeded the investigation."
No one was charged with the leak itself, including the initial source of the disclosure, former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. Fitzgerald was aware early on that Armitage was the original source of the leak.
Libby's supporters have said that proves Fitzgerald's investigation ran amok. Fitzgerald rejected that idea Friday. The FBI pressed on because it was important to know whether the leaks were approved by others, Fitzgerald said, and Libby impeded that effort.
"Mr. Libby's prosecution was based not upon politics but upon his own conduct," Fitzgerald said.
Libby's supporters wrote letters to the court on his behalf, but Walton has not decided whether to release them. Eleven news organizations filed documents Friday urging Walton not to keep them secret because they were filed in an attempt to influence Libby's sentence and should therefore be part of the public record.
Fitzgerald referenced those letters Friday and, even without the direct quotes, it's clear that some strongly criticized the investigation.
Libby's supporters, Fitzgerald said, have tried to "shift blame away from Mr. Libby for his illegal conduct and onto those who investigated and prosecuted Mr. Libby for unexplained 'political' reasons."
Libby's lawyers have said he deserves to be pardoned, but the White House has been guarded about the issue. Top Democrats have urged Bush not to pardon him.
Someone remind me how much prison time Sandy Burglar did for stealing classified documents?
Seems fair for not recalling the details of a crime that never happened.
In an earlier life, he would have been the king’s taster.
Mr. Fitzgerald has shown no remorse for his prosecuting his enemies for whatever selfish agenda he has. Hope he has more than 2 or 3 years to spend in prison. He certainly deserves too.
FITZFONG and pals have “shown no remorse” for corrupting the legal system with a political hit job. They should all be sentenced to at least 10 years in the slammer for dishonesty, incompetence, and vicious depravity. Joe and Val should get life in prison for treason.
Oh, and give Sandy Burglar and all of his accomplices at least 20 years for their crimes......
this is terrible...
Not so bad,
they toned it down from a hanging.
...how much time did Sandy Burglar do...????
exactly! Fitzgerald should be investigated....
Double standard is disgraceful!
And Fitzgerald lied about there being a criminal investigation. I say throw Fitzgerald in jail too.
pardon him now.
Rush regularly reminds his listeners that to the thinking of the democrat party it is criminal to be a Republican.
The Libby case proves Rush is right.
Fitzgerald is either a Rat or a lunatic.
Bush should pardon Libby ASAP.
Yeah but he’s one of those Bush Republican people.
Not one of those most wonderful Demonrat types.
That guy never showed ANY remorse.
At least the dems are asking bush to be consistent with their pardon standards.
Democrats only pardon real criminals and terrorist, not people like Libby
How many years did clinton get for lying under oath?
Free Scooter ping (send fitzy to jail)
You and I had EXACTLY the same thought. No, there’s nothing political going on here. No, not much. This is a disgrace.
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