Bush: Jail Term for Libby Was 'Excessive'
President Bush commuted the prison sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, calling it "excessive." President Bush made the statement just five hours after a federal appeals panel ruled that Libby could not delay his 2 1/2-year term. But the president left in tact a $250,000 fine and two years probation.
Copyright © 2007 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
JOHN YDSTIE, host:
Yesterday, just five hours after a federal appeals panel ruled that Lewis Libby could not delay his prison term, President Bush commuted Libby's sentence. The former White House aide had been sentenced to two and a half years in prison in the CIA leak case.
In a written statement, the president called Libby's prison sentence excessive, but the president left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation. The former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney was convicted in March of lying and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.
(Soundbite of music)
YDSTIE: You're listening to MORNING EDITION from NPR News.
Copyright © 2007 National Public Radio®. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to National Public Radio. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
Comments
Discussions for this story are now closed. Please see the Community FAQ for more information.