Bush spares Libby from prison

AP on Yahoo ^ | 7/2/07 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - President Bush spared former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby from a 2 1/2-year prison term on Monday, issuing an order that commutes his sentence.

This is a breaking news update. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby cannot delay his 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case, a federal appeals panel unanimously ruled Monday.

The decision is a major setback for Libby, who is running out of legal options and who probably will have to surrender to prison in weeks. The ruling puts pressure on President Bush, who has been sidestepping calls by Libby's allies to pardon the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Libby was convicted in March of lying and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. He is the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair.

Libby believed he had a good chance of overturning the conviction on appeal and asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to put the sentence on hold. In a two-sentence ruling, the court refused.

The White House had no immediate reaction to the decision.

Libby's supporters, who raised millions of dollars for his defense fund, immediately renewed calls for a pardon.

"I hope it puts pressure on the president. He's a man of pronounced loyalties and he should have loyalty to Scooter Libby," said former Ambassador Richard Carlson, a member of Libby's defense fund. "It would be a travesty for him to go off to prison. The president will take some heat for it. So what? He takes heat for everything."

Attorney William Jeffress said only that Libby's defense team was weighing its options.

Those options are dwindling, however. The most likely move is an appeal to Chief Justice John Roberts, but it's unlikely that Roberts would overturn a unanimous ruling to spare Libby prison. Barring such an intervention, it seems only Bush could spare Libby prison time.

Roberts is a Bush appointee but judicial politics haven't helped Libby so far. U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, who sentenced Libby and refused to delay the prison term, was a Bush appointee. Two of the three appellate judges who denied Libby's request Monday were appointed by Republicans.

Last week, the U.S. bureau of Prisons designated Libby as federal inmate No. 28301-016. He soon will receive a time and place to surrender. The agency tries to place inmates close to home, which means candidates include prisons in Cumberland, Md.; Petersburg, Va.; Fairton, N.J.; Fort Dix, N.J. and Schuylkill, Pa.

As a first-time offender, Libby likely would be assigned to a minimum-security prison camp, where inmates sleep in bunks arranged in small cubicles with shared toilets. Whether drug dealers, insider traders, tax cheats or disgraced politicians, all prisoners are ordered to strip and submit to cavity searches on their way through the doors.

Bush and Cheney have said throughout the case that they felt sorry for Libby's wife and children. But Bush has publicly dodged questions about whether he plans to pardon Libby or commute his sentence.

The leak investigation was a political cloud over the Bush administration for years. Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald interviewed Bush and Cheney and ordered key White House aides to testify before a grand jury.

Nobody was charged with leaking Plame's identity but Libby was convicted of lying about his conversations with reporters regarding the outed operative. Fitzgerald says his investigation is complete.

The appellate judges who turned down Libby's request were: David Tatel, nominated by President Clinton; David Sentelle, selected by President Ronald Reagan; and Karen LeCraft Henderson, appointed by President George H.W. Bush, father of the current president.

[ViLaLuz]

That’s a step in the right direction. Now he must pardon Compean, Ramos and Hernandez.

[avital2]

i also feel he has been betrayed by the system and would like him to know that regular citizens want to correct that however we can.

[chessplayer]

Joe Wilson was just on CNN. He is outraged at Bush for interfering in the Libby investigation by commuting the prison sentence. lol!!! And here I thought the investigation was over. Silly me.

[Terpfen]

I’m saying they don’t because, well, they don’t. They’re being advocated simply because they’re border patrol agents.

[amchugh]

I am not a lawyer, but I thought it was impossible to insure yourself against your own criminal acts. Misfeasance or civil liability maybe, but not criminal conviction. That would also apply to the legal fees. If he fails to reverse on appeal I suspect he will be disbarred, and never work for the government again. He’ll probably find other work in the private sector though.

[Salvation]

**Bush spares Libby from prison**

Glad the President did this.

[KevinB]

Thanks for the link. Man, the dummies are an ignorant lot. One of the members of the party of tolerance said, referring to the Bush administration: "F*CK THEM ALL with a TOILET PLUNGER AND BLOW THEIR ASSES TO HELL!!!"

Interestingly, the very next post was deleted by the moderator. Boy, if the first post was okay but the next one wasn't, you really have to to ask yourself what a Dummy has to say to have his post deleted. It was probably something like, "Though I disagree with Bush on many things, I think he acted reasonably in this situation." Can't have that in the forum.

[colorado tanker]

Perhaps this will allow the appeal to go on without jail time. At the end of the appeal process, the President could still pardon him and remove the conviction.

I have to think that's the President's strategy. If the appeals court reverses, no pardon is needed, and, incidentally, a very important and favorable precedent would be set restraining the seeming unlimited and unsupervised power of these special prosecutors.

[KevinB]

As Independence Day nears, we’re reminded that one of the principles our forefathers fought for was equal justice under the law. This commutation completely tramples on that principle," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said.

Gee, Chuckie, I think you'd better reread your high school history book. Independence Day was about our separation from British imperialism, not equal justice under the law. In fact at the time of the Declaration of Independence there were many thousands of slaves in the country, which doesn't exactly qualify as equal justice under the law. Of course, the kind of people who vote for you never read their history books either, so there's no use wasting a good sound bite.

[P-Marlowe]

They shot a drug dealer (who most likely was armed) in the ass. They deserve a medal rather than 12 years in prison.

As I said, you just want them to serve time because they are Hispanic. You just don't like Americans of Mexican ancestry.

[Mr. Buzzcut]

This will buy back the good graces of the Party faithful after that immigration disaster.

Attacks on military targets in Iran would garner my favor.

[P-Marlowe]

I would hope the administration can funnel money to cover his fine and attorney fees...

That would be an impeachable offense. They'd better not even try.

[Terpfen]

As I said, you just want them to serve time because they are Hispanic. You just don't like Americans of Mexican ancestry.

Then explain why my girlfriend is just that--an American of Mexican ancestry.

Take your Lindsay Graham style of FReeping elsewhere.

[SunkenCiv]

Judge Dismisses New York Times Lawsuit
AP via SFGate | 7/2/7 | DEEPTI HAJELA, Associated Press Writer
Posted on 07/02/2007 4:39:23 PM PDT by SmithL
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1859892/posts

[Deek1969]

I was just thinking this when I heard it. Maybe the one pundit is right, Rush is more powerful than W. Rush tells W. to pardon him, and it is done.

[P-Marlowe]

Then explain why my girlfriend is just that--an American of Mexican ancestry.

Then you don't like Ramos and Compean because they shot a Mexican. Or Maybe you just like drug dealers.

[Nevadan]

re: I also feel he has been betrayed by the system

Since Libby was tried in DC which is overwhelmingly Democrat, how in the world would they even be able to find a fair and impartial jury there, not to mention a fair and impartial judge? The outcome of the case was predetermined from the beginning.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“Let all us conservatives really piss off the liberals and give Rush Limbaugh the credit for the pressure on the President.”

Please. Libby’s legal team exhausted every possibility. Once it was clear Libby was going to prison, Bush did what he was supposed to do.

This wasn’t pressure. It was political strategy.

[Grampa Dave]

                                                                                                 U.S. Department of Justice

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                                                                                           Washington, D.C. 20530
January 20, 2001

Pardon Grants January 2001

Name	Home Town	Offenses
ALLEN, Verla Jean	Everton, Arkansas	False statements to agency of United States
ALTIERE, Nicholas M.	Las Vegas, Nevada	Importation of cocaine
ALTSCHUL, Bernice Ruth	Sherman Village, California	Conspiracy to commit money laundering
ANDERSON, Joe, Jr.	Grove Hill, Alabama	Income tax evasion
ANDERSON, William Sterling	Spartanburg, South Carolina	Conspiracy to defraud a federally insured financial institution, false statements to a federally insured financial institution, wire fraud
AZIZKHANI, Mansour T.	Huntsville, Alabama	Conspiracy and making false statements in bank loan applications
BABIN, Cleveland Victor, Jr.	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Conspiracy to commit offense against the United States by utilizing the U.S. mail in furtherance of a scheme to defraud
BAGLEY, Chris Harmon	Harrah, Oklahoma	Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
BANE, Scott Lynn	Mahomet, Illinois	Unlawful distribution of marijuana
BARBER, Thomas Cleveland	Hampton, Florida	Issuing worthless checks
BARGON, Peggy Ann	Monticello, Illinois	Violation of the Lacey Act, violation of the Bald Eagle Protection Act
BHATKA, Tansukhlal		Income tax evasion
BLAMPIED, David Roscoe	Ketchum, Idaho	Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
BORDERS, William Arthur, Jr.	Washington, D.C.	Conspiracy to corruptly solicit and accept money in return for influencing the official acts of a federal district court judge (Alcee L. Hastings), and to defraud the United States in connection with the performance of lawful government functions; corruptly influencing, obstructing, impeding and endeavoring to influence, obstruct and impede the due administration of justice, and aiding and abetting therein; traveling interstate with intent to commit bribery
BOREL, Arthur David	Little Rock, Arkansas	Odometer rollback
BOREL, Douglas Charles	Conway, Arkansas	Odometer rollback
BRABHAM, George Thomas	Austin, Texas	Making a false statement or report to a federally insured bank
BRASWELL, Almon Glenn	Doravilla, Georgia	Conspiracy to defraud government with respect to claims; perjury
BROWDER, Leonard	Aiken, South Carolina	Illegal dispensing of controlled substance and Medicaid fraud
BROWN, David Steven	New York, New York	Securities fraud and mail fraud
BURLESON, Delores Caroylene, aka Delores Cox Burleson	Hanna, Oklahoma	Possession of marijuana
BUSTAMANTE, John H.	Cleveland, Ohio	Wire fraud
CAMPBELL, Mary Louise	Ruleville, Mississippi	Aiding and abetting the unauthorized use and transfer of food stamps
CANDELARIA, Eloida		False information in registering to vote
CAPILI, Dennis Sobrevinas	Glendale, California	Filing false statements in alien registration
CHAMBERS, Donna Denise	Memphis, Tennessee	Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, use of a telephone to facilitate cocaine conspiracy
CHAPMAN, Douglas Eugene	Scott, Arkansas	Bank fraud
CHAPMAN, Ronald Keith	Scott, Arkansas	Bank fraud
CHAVEZ, Francisco Larios	Santa Ana, California	Aiding and abetting illegal entry of aliens
CISNEROS, Henry G.
CLINTON, Roger
COHN, Stuart Harris	New Haven, Connecticut	1. Illegal sale of gold options 2. Illegal sale of silver options
COOPER, David Marc	Wapakoneta, Ohio	Conspiracy to defraud the government
COX, Ernest Harley, Jr.	Pine Bluff, Arkansas	Conspiracy to defraud a federally insured savings and loan, misapplication of bank funds, false statements
CROSS, John F., Jr.	Little Rock, Arkansas	Embezzlement by a bank employee
CUNNINGHAM, Rickey Lee	Amarillo, Texas	Possession with intent to distribute marijuana
DE LABIO, Richard Anthony	Baltimore, Maryland	Mail fraud, aiding and abetting
DEUTCH, John		Described in January 19, 2001 information
DOUGLAS, Richard		False statements
DOWNE, Edward Reynolds		Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and tax evasion; securities fraud
DUDLEY, Marvin Dean	Omaha, Nebraska	False statements
DUNCAN, Larry Lee	Branson, Missouri	Altering an automobile odometer
FAIN, Robert Clinton		Aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false corporate tax return
FERNANDEZ, Marcos Arcenio	Miami, Florida	Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana
FERROUILLET, Alvarez		Interstate transport of stolen property, money laundering, false statements
FUGAZY, William Denis	Harrison, New York	Perjury in a bankruptcy proceeding
GEORGE, Lloyd Reid		Mail fraud
GOLDSTEIN, Louis	Las Vegas, Nevada	Possession of goods stolen from interstate shipment
GORDON, Rubye Lee	Tampa, Florida	Forgery of U.S. Treasury checks
GREEN, Pincus	Switzerland
HAMNER, Robert Ivey	Searcy, Arkansas	Conspiracy to distribute marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
HANDLEY, Samuel Price	Hodgenville, Kentucky	Conspiracy to steal government property
HANDLEY, Woodie Randolph	Hodgenville, Kentucky	Conspiracy to steal government property
HARMON, Jay Houston	Jonesboro, Arkansas	1. Conspiracy to import marijuana, conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, importation of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute 2. Conspiracy to import cocaine
HEMMINGSON, John		Interstate transport of stolen property, money laundering
HERDLINGER, David S.	St. Simons Island, Georgia	Mail fraud
HUCKLEBERRY, Debi Rae	Ogden, Utah	Distribution of methamphetamine
JAMES, Donald Ray	Fairfield Bay, Arkansas	Mail fraud, wire fraud, and false statement to a bank to influence credit approval
JOBE, Stanley Pruet	El Paso, Texas	Conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud
JOHNSON, Ruben H.	Austin, Texas	Theft and misapplication of bank funds by a bank officer or director
JONES, Linda		Conspiracy to commit bank fraud and other offenses against the United States
LAKE, James Howard		Illegal corporate campaign contributions, wire fraud
LEWIS, June Louise	Lowellville, Ohio	Embezzlement by a bank employee
LEWIS, Salim Bonnor	Short Hills, New Jersey	Securities fraud, record keeping violations, margin violations
LODWICK, John Leighton	Excelsior Springs, Missouri	Income tax evasion
LOPEZ, Hildebrando	San Isidro, Texas	Distribution of cocaine
LUACES, Jose Julio	Ft. Lauderdale, Florida	Possession of an unregistered firearm
MANESS, James Timothy		Conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance
MANNING, James Lowell	Little Rock, Arkansas	Aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false corporate tax return
MARTIN, John Robert	Gulf Breeze, Florida	Income tax evasion
MARTINEZ, Frank Ayala	Elgin, Texas	Conspiracy to supply false documents to the Immigration and Naturalization Service
MARTINEZ, Silvia Leticia Beltran	Elgin, Texas	Conspiracy to supply false documents to the Immigration and Naturalization Service
McCORMICK, John Francis	Dedham, Massachusetts	Racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, and violation of the Hobbs act
McDOUGAL, Susan H.
MECHANIC, Howard Lawrence		1. Violating the Civil Disobedience Act of 1968 2. Failure to appear 3. Making false statement in acquiring a passport
MITCHELL, Brook K., Sr.		Conspiracy to illegally obtain USDA subsidy payments, false statements to USDA, and false entries on USDA forms
MORGAN, Charles Wilfred, III	Little Rock, Arkansas	Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
MORISON, Samuel Loring	Crofton, Maryland	Willful transmission of defense information, unauthorized possession and retention of defense information, theft of government property
NAZZARO, Richard Anthony	Winchester, Massachusetts	Perjury and conspiracy to commit mail fraud
NOSENKO, Charlene Ann	Phoenix, Arizona	Conspiracy to defraud the United States, and influencing or injuring an officer or juror generally
OBERMEIER, Vernon Raymond	Belleville, Illinois	Conspiracy to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine, and using a communications facility to facilitate distribution of cocaine
OGALDE, Miguelina	Glendale, California	Conspiracy to import cocaine
OWEN, David C.	Olathe, Kansas	Filing a false tax return
PALMER, Robert W.	Little Rock, Arkansas	Conspiracy to make false statements
PERHOSKY, Kelli Anne	Bridgeville, Pennsylvania	Conspiracy to commit mail fraud
PEZZOPANE, Richard H.	Palo Heights, Illinois	Conspiracy to commit racketeering, and mail fraud
PHILLIPS, Orville Rex	Waco, Texas	Unlawful structure of a financial transaction
POLING, Vinson Stewart, Jr.	Baldwin, Maryland	Making a false bank entry, and aiding and abetting
PROUSE, Norman Lyle	Conyers, Georgia	Operating or directing the operation of a common carrier while under the influence of alcohol
PRUITT, Willie H. H., Jr.	Port Richey, Florida	Absent without official leave
PURSLEY, Danny Martin, Sr.	Goodlettsville, Tennessee	Aiding and abetting the conduct of an illegal gambling business, and obstruction of state laws to facilitate illegal gambling
RAVENEL, Charles D.	Charleston, South Carolina	Conspiracy to defraud the United States
RAY, William Clyde	Altus, Oklahoma	Fraud using a telephone
REGALADO, Alfredo Luna	Pharr, Texas	Failure to report the transportation of currency in excess of $10,000 into the United States
RICAFORT, Ildefonso Reynes	Houston, Texas	Submission of false claims to Veterans Administration
RICH, Marc	Switzerland
RIDDLE, Howard Winfield	Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado	Violation of the Lacey Act (receipt of illegally imported animal skins)
RILEY, Richard Wilson, Jr.		Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute
ROBBINS, Samuel Lee	Cedar Park, Texas	Misprision of a felony
RODRIGUEZ, Joel Gonzales	Houston, Texas	Theft of mail by a postal employee
ROGERS, Michael James	McAllen, Texas	Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana
ROSS, Anna Louise	Lubbock, Texas	Distribution of cocaine
RUST, Gerald Glen	Avery, Texas	False declarations before grand jury
RUST, Jerri Ann	Avery, Texas	False declarations before grand jury
RUTHERFORD, Bettye June	Albuquerque, New Mexico	Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
SANDS, Gregory Lee	Sioux Falls, South Dakota	Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
SCHWIMMER, Adolph		Conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, conspiracy to export arms and ammunition to a foreign country and related charges
SERETTI, Albert A., Jr.	McKees Rocks, Pennyslvania	Conspiracy and wire fraud
SHAW, Patricia Campbell Hearst	Wilton, Connecticut	Armed bank robbery and using a firearm during a felony
SMITH, Dennis Joseph	Redby, Minnesota	1. Unauthorized absence 2. Failure to obey off-limits instructions 3. Unauthorized absence
SMITH, Gerald Owen	Florence, Mississippi	Armed bank robbery
SMITH, Stephen A.
SPEAKE, Jimmie Lee	Breckenridge, Texas	Conspiracy to possess and utter counterfeit $20 Federal Reserve notes
STEWART, Charles Bernard	Sparta, Georgia	Illegally destroying U.S. Mail
STEWART-ROLLINS, Marlena Francisca	Euclid, Ohio	Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
SYMINGTON, John Fife, III
TANNEHILL, Richard Lee	Reno, Nevada	Conspiracy and restraint of trade
TENAGLIA, Nicholas C.	Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania	Receipt of illegal payments under the Medicare program
THOMAS, Gary Allen	Lancaster, Texas	Theft of mail by postal employee
TODD, Larry Weldon	Gardendale, Texas	Conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S. in violation of the Lacey Act and the Airborne Hunting Act
TREVINO, Olga C.	Converse, Texas	Misapplication by a bank employee
VAMVOUKLIS, Ignatious	Exeter, New Hampshire	Possession of cocaine
VAN DE WEERD, Patricia A.	Tomahawk, Wisconsin	Theft by a U.S. Postal employee
WADE, Christopher V.
WARMATH, Bill Wayne	Walls, Mississippi	Obstruction of correspondence
WATSON, Jack Kenneth	Oakridge, Oregon	Making false statements of material facts to the U.S. Forest Service
WEBB, Donna Lynn	Panama City, Florida	False entry in savings and loan record by employee
WELLS, Donald William	Phenix City, Alabama	Possession of an unregistered firearm
WENDT, Robert H.	Kirkwood, Missouri	Conspiracy to effectuate the escape of a federal prisoner
WILLIAMS, Jack L.		Making false statements to federal agents
WILLIAMS, Kevin Arthur	Omaha, Nebraska	Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine
WILLIAMS, Robert Michael	Davison, Michigan	Conspiracy to transport in foreign commerce securities obtained by fraud
WILSON, Jimmie Lee	Helena, Arkansas	Converting property mortgaged or pledged to a farm credit agency, and converting public money to personal use
WINGATE, Thelma Louise	Sale City, Georgia	Mail fraud
WOOD, Mitchell Couey	Sherwood, Arkansas	Conspiracy to possess and to distribute cocaine
WOOD, Warren Stannard	Las Vegas, Nevada	Conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing a false document with the Securities and Exchange Commission
WORTHEY, Dewey	Conway, Arkansas	Medicaid fraud
YALE, Rick Allen	Belleville, Illinois	Bank fraud
YASAK, Joseph A.	Chicago, Illinois	Knowingly making under oath a false declaration regarding a material fact before a grand jury
YINGLING, William Stanley		Interstate transportation of stolen vehicle
YOUNG, Phillip David	Little Rock, Arkansas	Interstate transportation and sale of fish and wildlife

                                                                                                 U.S. Department of Justice

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