Scooter Libby Disbarred

It was perhaps an anticlimatic footnote to a notorious downward spiral, spiked by political scandal and corruption, and culminating last March with convictions on perjury and obstruction of justice charges.

Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, was disbarred today by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

The disbarrment precludes Mr. Libby for practising law in D.C. only.

On March 6, 2007, Mr. Libby was found guilty on four of five charges of obstruction of justice, perjury and lying to the FBI during its investigation into a leak to reporters in 2003 of the classified identitlyof CIA operative, Valerie Plame.

President George W. Bush commuted Mr. Libby's 30 month jail sentence in July, 2007.

The appellate court's concise disbarrment ruling in In re I. L. Libby stated:

When a member of the Bar is convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude, disbarment is mandatory. D.C. Code § 11-2503 (a) (2001). When convictions on more than one count are involved, disbarment is mandated if any one of them involves moral turpitude. In re Lipari, 704 A.2d 851, 852 (D.C. 1997) (citation omitted). This court has held that obstruction of justice (18 U.S.C. § 1503) and perjury (18 U.S.C. § 1623) are crimes of moral turpitude per se. In re Gormley, 793 A.2d 469, 470 (D.C. 2002) (citations omitted). Since respondent was convicted of each of these offenses, as the Board concluded, disbarment is mandatory under D.C. Code § 11-2503 (a). Neither Bar Counsel nor respondent has taken exception to the Board’s Report and Recommendation.

Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that I. Lewis Libby, Jr. is disbarred from the practice of law in the District of Columbia, and his name shall be stricken from the roll of attorneys authorized to practice before this court.

from DCCA Opinion No. 07-BG-179

Also see: Cheney's former chief of staff disbarred - CNN

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net

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Bush Misled Press on Plame: Scott McClellan

What Happened, a new book by Scott McClellan, the former White House Press Secretary, provides a revealing glimpse of deception and manipulation of the press by the Bush White House.

Raw Story's Former WH Press Sec.: Bush, Rove helped pass along 'false information' on Plame provides the details:

President Bush, Karl Rove, and other top administration officials were "involved" in misleading the White House press corps about the outing of ex-CIA agent Valerie Plame, a forthcoming book from former Press Secretary Scott McClellan alleges.

Entitled What Happened, the new tell-all features McClellan's account of his days as the White House's top spokesman -- including a behind-the-scenes look at the Bush administration's handling of the Plame affair, according to a tantalizing excerpt from the book released on its publisher's website.

"The most powerful leader in the world had called upon me to speak on his behalf and help restore credibility he lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq," writes McClellan. "So I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby."

But his press performances weren't based on the facts, McClellan continues.

"There was one problem. It was not true," he writes. "I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice President, the President's chief of staff, and the president himself."

....

In related news, has Karl Rove cut and run from George Bush? Some commentators think so.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net

EMPLOYMENT LAW • CIVIL LITIGATION • WILLS AND ESTATES • FAMILY LAW & DIVORCE

President Bush Commutes Scooter Libby's Jail Sentence

An explanation from TPM:

I havent seen this noted but I think the reason for the commutation is that a pardon would mean that Libby was no longer exposed to criminal sanctions and thus had no Fifth Amendment privilege. As it stands he has a fine and probation at stake during the pendency of the appeal which insulates him (and Bush and Cheney) from having to answer questions before Congress.

Editorial boards at leading newspapers across America weigh in.

An eventual, full pardon is apparently still on the table (but only if Libby asks for it). Bush spokesman Tony Snow:

"The reason I will say I'm not going to close a door on a pardon is simply this: that Scooter Libby may petition for one," Snow said. "But the president has done what he thinks is appropriate to resolve this case."

"There is always a possibility - or there's an avenue open - for anybody to petition for consideration of a pardon," he added.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

Visit our Website: http://www.wiselaw.net/