“Scooter” Libby Convicted of Perjury, Obstruction in CIA Leak Trial

Vice President Cheney’s former chief of staff Lewis “Scooter” Libby is facing up to 25 years in prison following his conviction on Tuesday in the CIA leak case. Jurors found Libby guilty of four felony counts of making false statements to the FBI, lying to a grand jury and obstructing a probe into the leak of Valerie Plame’s identity. Libby is the highest-ranking White House official to be convicted of a felony since the Iran-Contra scandal nearly two decades ago.

After the verdict was announced, one juror named Denis Collins said jurors felt that Libby was the fall guy for the White House. Collins told reporters “It was said a number of times: ‘What are we doing with this guy here? Where’s Rove, where’s you know, where are these other guys?’” Valerie Plame’s husband Joseph Wilson said: “The president and the vice president owe the country a much broader explanation of their own actions at this time.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said: “It’s about time someone in the Bush administration has been held accountable for the campaign to manipulate intelligence and discredit war critics.”

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.

Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was also asked whether he would seek the indictments of any other White House officials. During the trial Fitzgerald had said “there is a cloud over the vice president... a cloud over the White House over what happened.”

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.

Meanwhile supporters of Libby are already calling on President Bush to issue a pardon. Within two and half hours of the verdict the National Review published an editorial titled “Pardon Libby.” The magazine said Libby was the target of a politicized prosecution. Defense attorney Theodore Wells said Libby will first seek a new trial.

Libby attorney Theodore Wells.

Joining us now in Washington DC are two reporters who have followed this story closely:

* Marcy Wheeler. She has closely followed the Libby trial and writes for the political blog The Next Hurrah. She is the author of the new book “Anatomy of Deceit: How the Bush Administration Used the Media to Sell the Iraq War and Out a Spy.”

* Murray Waas. Veteran investigative journalist for the National Journal. He is editor of the upcoming book “The United States v. I. Lewis Libby,” scheduled to be released in April by Union Square Press.

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