Friday, October 28, 2005

Indictment

Looks like Scooter Libby is going to need himself a good lawyer.

UPDATE** I was at work (gasp!) when the news came out, and I didn't get to do more than skim the indictment and press release. Looks to me like Scooter has been charged with lying to investigators (Obstructing Justice, two counts of False Statements, and two counts of Perjury).

You won't get me to argue that these are trivial charges. They smack at the center of the criminal justice system, and I would like to see charges such as this levied more often. I can tell you stories of numerous cases in state district court where investigations have been stymied because someone lied about facts.

Scooter Libby should have known better, and he should be frogmarched down to the US Courthouse to post bail. You don't lie to investigators. You don't lie during sworn testimony. You don't obstruct a Federal investigation. There comes a time in anyone's testimony when you have a "Come To Jesus" moment. Where only the unvarnished truth will save you. Scooter screwed the pooch on that one.

I do notice that he hasn't been charged with outing Valerie Plame. One wonders now what statements he might give to investigators to try to minimize the damage? One would also wonder what indictments might come from additional testimony? One also wonders how much more time and energy the government is going to put into this investigation?

This indictment answers so few questions and leaves so many more hanging.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ain't it amazing how power corrupts? Powerful people never see themselves as a bad guy--it's always somebody else. If he actually did it, he should get jail time.

Anonymous said...

One more comment. If Libby actually did this, blow an agent's cover in time of war, hasn't he committed treason?

Pawpaw said...

That's the thing, see, they aren't accusing him about blowing the cover of a covert agent. The underlying crime isn't being discussed at all in the indictment.

There are those pundits that say the "spy outing" law is so narrowly written that it is almost impossible to prosecute. However, Libby lied to Federal Agents, and to a Grand Jury, about something that might not have been against the law. He is being prosecuted for lying, not for talking.

Confusing as hell, ain't it? He wouuld have been better off taking the Fifth.

Anonymous said...

In my opinion, treason should be punishable by hanging from the neck until dead dead dead.