Posted on 07/02/2007 2:45:21 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55
Edited on 07/02/2007 3:05:31 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Foxnews alert.. libby sentence commuted
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STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
The United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today rejected Lewis Libby’s request to remain free on bail while pursuing his appeals for the serious convictions of perjury and obstruction of justice. As a result, Mr. Libby will be required to turn himself over to the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his prison sentence.
I have said throughout this process that it would not be appropriate to comment or intervene in this case until Mr. Libby’s appeals have been exhausted. But with the denial of bail being upheld and incarceration imminent, I believe it is now important to react to that decision.
From the very beginning of the investigation into the leaking of Valerie Plame’s name, I made it clear to the White House staff and anyone serving in my administration that I expected full cooperation with the Justice Department. Dozens of White House staff and administration officials dutifully cooperated.
After the investigation was under way, the Justice Department appointed United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald as a Special Counsel in charge of the case. Mr. Fitzgerald is a highly qualified, professional prosecutor who carried out his responsibilities as charged.
This case has generated significant commentary and debate. Critics of the investigation have argued that a special counsel should not have been appointed, nor should the investigation have been pursued after the Justice Department learned who leaked Ms. Plame’s name to columnist Robert Novak. Furthermore, the critics point out that neither Mr. Libby nor anyone else has been charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act or the Espionage Act, which were the original subjects of the investigation. Finally, critics say the punishment does not fit the crime: Mr. Libby was a first-time offender with years of exceptional public service and was handed a harsh sentence based in part on allegations never presented to the jury.
Others point out that a jury of citizens weighed all the evidence and listened to all the testimony and found Mr. Libby guilty of perjury and obstructing justice. They argue, correctly, that our entire system of justice relies on people telling the truth. And if a person does not tell the truth, particularly if he serves in government and holds the public trust, he must be held accountable. They say that had Mr. Libby only told the truth, he would have never been indicted in the first place.
Both critics and defenders of this investigation have made important points. I have made my own evaluation. In preparing for the decision I am announcing today, I have carefully weighed these arguments and the circumstances surrounding this case.
Mr. Libby was sentenced to thirty months of prison, two years of probation, and a $250,000 fine. In making the sentencing decision, the district court rejected the advice of the probation office, which recommended a lesser sentence and the consideration of factors that could have led to a sentence of home confinement or probation.
I respect the jury’s verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby’s sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.
My decision to commute his prison sentence leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby. The reputation he gained through his years of public service and professional work in the legal community is forever damaged. His wife and young children have also suffered immensely. He will remain on probation. The significant fines imposed by the judge will remain in effect. The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant, and private citizen will be long-lasting.
The Constitution gives the President the power of clemency to be used when he deems it to be warranted. It is my judgment that a commutation of the prison term in Mr. Libby’s case is an appropriate exercise of this power.
Isn’t it odd how the DUmmies were never outraged over any of Clintons pardons for money? On the news today someone was commenting on how the left mistakenly connects Libby’s crime with the outting of Valerie Phlame. The conviction was for lying to a Grand Jury/perjury......behavior which in the case of Clinton they considered much ado about nothing. If the matter of Clinton pardons is brought up to the left it is usually brushed off as “in the past”.
If this is accurate, then is not that evidence from the judge himself that he erred in what he allowed the jury to know? Shouldn't the appeal have been upheld?
Does anyone know exactly what the words of the judge were that he denied the jury but utilized in his sentence?
Name one other POTUS who presided over an extended war while cutting the Federal deficit by 75% at the same time. Name any head of state in world history for that matter.
limited vocabulary...
A crime so monumentally egregious, so evil and corrupting, yet Fitzfong never charged anyone with this crime.
Maybe Fitzfong can indict Dick Armitage now?
Do we not have a criminal on the loose?
Hey Fitz, where’s the beef?
George Washington never told a lie. Abe Lincoln had no shoes and GWB turned the other cheek to the dems again.
As to your point, I’ll remember that in 2012 after Obama/Rodham really screw the pooch.
What other President could throw a perfect strike in Yankee Stadium in their first post 9-11 game?
I dunno. On the one hand I’m happy Mr. Libby will not be jailed, but on the other — it’s still not real justice in the sense that he was still found guilty and that verdict will tarnish him for the rest of his life. I guess this commutation was the best we could hope for, so maybe I should just shaddup and live with it.
And one other plus — the President pizzed off Harry Reid and the rest of the socialist liberal whiners. If the President can tick them off, maybe this commutation is not so bad after all.
bttt!
This made my week. I wish it were a full pardon but understand the need to get through the appeal process. Whatever the outcome, I’m sure Bush will pardon Libby in the end if it comes to that, as he should.
Your comment ignores an awful lot of good that’s been done.
There’s so much anti-Americanism on that site, I think it’s filled with non-Americans, probably a few al qaeda members included, not much difference from the anti-American left. I can’t stomach going on that site, I went on there once and they were spewing such hatred for our soldiers in Iraq. What a sad bunch.
Typical Bush....trying to play both ends; upholding a persecution rather than a prosecution to try to keep MSM at bay and commuting prison sentence to throw a bone to conservatives. He should have given Libby a FULL pardon. Fitz was a special prosecutor who was bent on embarrasing the President. Bush missed a grat opportunity here.
You asked “shouldn’t the appeal have been upheld” (because of judicial error). I agree it ought to be, but the appeal process has not concluded. It’s only just begun and in the meantime Scooter was being forced into jail to await its outcome. So no appeal has been either granted or denied...yet.
If Bush had the proper amount of courage it WOULD HAVE BEEN a FULL PARDON. Once again...a half measure. At least he did something to keep the man out of jail and I am pleased about that.
What a bunch of DUmmies. Heads are exploding over there. It is truly hilarious.
I’m sure he will get around to a full pardon. Right after he builds a border fence.
I looked there too and I see they want to have a revolution about Scooter not going to jail. LOL
You want to impeach Bush why?
Because you can’t beat him? Or because you’re one of those claiming he’s a “moron” who “duped” democrats into voting for a war they claim is illegal? Which is it?
You had a chance in November, 2006 to vote for those who would grant your wish, to impeach the president. It seems that your beef is with them.
There seems to be a large number of Americans suffering from “impeachment envy”.
Numerous freepers flatly predicted he wouldn't lift a finger to help Scooter. They were wrong.
Building the fence and Scooter have no connection. On one he did what I think he should have done.(You might bother to read the thread. It's been repeatedly explained why Scooter himself preferred commutation NOW rather than pardon NOW, and what is expected later depending on his appeal.) On the other he hasn't done what I think should have been done long ago (when Reagan was Prez). In both cases he's done what he thought was best.
He's done more on enforcement. Lots more and that's a fact. It's just that the baseline of enforcement was so abysmally low, as we all know and agree.
Nobody talks about the deficit much these days.
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