Lewis Libby Clemency Controversy - Background - Dissent

Dissent

The commutation of Libby's sentence was controversial for a number of reasons. Some, such as Chairman Conyers, implied that President Bush had abused his power in order to protect himself and Vice President Cheney from oversight:

"While I recognize that the clemency power is a Presidential prerogative, your decision to commute Scooter Libby’s sentence has proven highly controversial, with commentators suggesting that this act may have had the effect of removing any further incentive that Mr. Libby may have had to provide more complete information about the leak of information on Valerie Wilson’s work as an intelligence agent and the role that your Vice President and you yourself may have played in that leak."

The commutation angered others, such as Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter, because they felt it represented a failure of accountability. Waxman:

"Former President Bush once said: 'I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors.'
That’s exactly what happened to Valerie Wilson. Her identity was revealed, putting her, her family, and our country at risk.
President Bush and Vice President Cheney deserve the widespread contempt they are receiving for this indefensible decision. The Libby commutation makes a mockery of our judicial system and our most fundamental values."

Slaughter:

"The case against Scooter Libby always involved much more than the fate of one man. By revealing Valerie Plame’s identity, the Administration endangered her life, the life of everyone in the field she had worked with, and America’s national security. This illegal action set back the work of our intelligence community immeasurably by breaking bonds of trust which take years to form. Two years is a paltry price to pay for the damage done to our nation, damage Mr. Libby made possible."

The Washington Times also criticized Bush for failing to hold Libby accountable, calling his decision "neither wise nor just":

"Perjury is a serious crime. This newspaper argued on behalf of its seriousness in the 1990s, during the Clinton perjury controversy, and today is no different. We'd have hoped that more conservatives would agree. The integrity of the judicial process depends on fact-finding and truth-telling. A jury found Libby guilty of not only perjury but also obstruction justice and lying to a grand jury. It handed down a very supportable verdict. This is true regardless of the trumped-up investigation and political witch hunt. It is true regardless of the unjustifiably harsh sentence."

Read more about this topic:  Lewis Libby Clemency Controversy, Background

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