Bush Knows his Commutation of
Libby will be part of his Legacy
"sordid tale of political shenanigans will not
end until a credible, independent criminal investigation
is conducted"
Vindy.com, October 4, 2008
go to original
See Article III.1
Conspiring to Reveal the Covert Identity of an Intelligence
Officer
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Scooter Libby: Cheney's Chief of
Staff had his prison sentence for obstruction
of justice commuted by the President whose
administration refuses to co-operate with
investigators.
Source: Flickr.com
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President Bush no doubt knows that his commutation
of the prison sentence of I. Lewis “Scooter”
Libby, the top aide of Vice President Dick Cheney,
in the C.I.A. leak case will forever be a part of
his legacy. Libby had been ordered to serve 30 months
in prison for his convictions on perjury and obstruction
charges in the case related to the leaking of Valerie
Plame Wilson’s identity.
Bush’s commutation was roundly criticized because
it was viewed as executive branch interference in
the work of the judicial branch. Libby had just lost
a bid before an appellate court to remain free pending
further review of his convictions when Bush stepped
in.
It would certainly be an abuse of power if the Oval
Office got involved in another case involving the
executive. We would hope the president uses the remaining
months in his tenure to mend his reputation, not further
damage it.
Bush should steer clear of the investigation launched
this week by Attorney General Michael Mukasey to determine
whether former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales,
other Bush administration officials or Republicans
in Congress should face criminal charges in the firings
of nine U.S. attorneys.
Mukasey has appointed Nora Dannehy, the acting U.S.
attorney in Connecticut, to pursue the inquiry, leaving
open the possibility that it won’t be finished
before the president leaves office in January.
The criminal probe follows the recommendation of
internal Justice Department investigators who concluded
that, despite denials of the administration, political
considerations played a part in the firings of as
many as four of the federal prosecutors.
Lack of cooperation
In their 358-page report, investigators said the
lack of cooperation by senior officials at the White
House and in the Justice Department left gaps in their
findings that should be investigated further.
“Serious allegations involving potential criminal
conduct have not been fully investigated or resolved,”
the report said, listing lying to investigators, obstruction
of justice and wire fraud among the potential felony
crimes.
Democratic and Republican senators who initially
led the congressional hearings into the firings made
it clear that a presidential pardon would be unacceptable.
U.S. attorneys are political appointees who serve
at the pleasure of the president, but cannot be fired
for improper reasons. Justice Department officials
contended that the terminations of the nine were the
result of poor performance on their part — after
saying that the decision to let them go was not triggered
by their job performances.
The employment records of the attorneys showed that
they had received high marks for the way they carried
out their responsibilities.
Inquiries by Congress and the Justice Department
revealed that President Bush personally talked to
then Attorney General Gonzales about concerns that
were voiced to him by Republicans about the way some
of the federal prosecutors were doing their jobs.
Several of the fired U.S. attorneys told the Senate
Judiciary Committee that there was improper pressure
on them by Republicans with regard to pending cases.
It is fortunate that the resignations of Gonzales
and his top aide, Kyle Sampson, did not bring the
case to an end.
Now, a special prosecutor with the freedom to operate
without political pressure will be pursuing the question
of criminal behavior by those in the executive branch.
This sordid tale of political shenanigans will not
end until a credible, independent criminal investigation
is conducted.
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