Lewis Libby

Lewis Libby is an American lawyer and former government official who served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney and as Assistant to the President under George W. Bush. He is best known for his central role in the CIA leak grand jury investigation, which led to his indictment and conviction on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements. Following his conviction, his prison sentence was commuted by President Bush, and he received a full pardon from President Donald Trump in 2018.

Early life and education

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr. was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and grew up in Florida. He attended the prestigious Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, before enrolling at Yale University. At Yale, he studied under the renowned professor and novelist Paul Horgan and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1972. Libby then pursued a law degree at Columbia Law School, where he was a member of the Columbia Law Review and earned his Juris Doctor in 1975. During his time at Columbia University, he also studied under the future National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski.

Legal and political career

After law school, Libby began his legal career as a clerk for Judge Malcolm Richard Wilkey of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He later clerked for Supreme Court Justice Byron White. Libby entered private practice at the Washington, D.C., firm of Dechert, where he specialized in international law. His government service began in the Reagan administration, where he worked at the United States Department of State under Paul Wolfowitz. During the George H. W. Bush administration, Libby served as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon. He returned to private practice in the 1990s before being appointed in 2001 as Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney and Assistant to President George W. Bush.

CIA leak grand jury investigation

In 2003, a federal grand jury investigation was launched to determine who leaked the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame to the press. The investigation, led by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, focused on whether administration officials violated the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. Libby was identified as a key source for journalists, including Judith Miller of The New York Times and Matthew Cooper of Time. Testimony revealed that Libby had discussed Plame's employment at the CIA with several reporters after learning about it from officials like Richard Armitage and Dick Cheney.

Trial and conviction

In October 2005, Libby was indicted on five felony counts: two for perjury, two for making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and one for obstruction of justice. His trial began in January 2007 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, presided over by Judge Reggie B. Walton. The prosecution, led by Patrick Fitzgerald, presented evidence including testimony from journalists like Tim Russert of NBC News. The defense team, which included noted attorney Theodore Olson, argued that any misstatements were due to faulty memory. In March 2007, the jury convicted Libby on four of the five counts.

Post-conviction events

In June 2007, Judge Reggie B. Walton sentenced Libby to 30 months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and two years of supervised release. Before Libby began his sentence, President George W. Bush commuted the prison term, calling the sentence "excessive." Libby's law license was suspended, and he paid the fine. He maintained his innocence and continued to work as a lawyer. In April 2018, President Donald Trump granted Libby a full presidential pardon, calling him a "victim" of a "very unfair investigation."

Personal life

Libby married attorney Harriet Grant in 1981; she was a counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. The couple has two children and resides in Washington, D.C. An avid writer, Libby has published novels, including The Apprentice in 1996. He remains a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has been involved with various legal and policy organizations since his pardon. Category:American lawyers Category:George W. Bush administration personnel Category:1950 births