Image copyright Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has pardoned former Vice-President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, who was convicted of lying about leaks to the media.

Lewis Libby, known as Scooter, was found guilty in 2007 following an investigation into the unauthorised disclosure of a CIA agent's identity.

The White House said Libby was "fully worthy of this pardon".

"I don't know Mr Libby," said Mr Trump, "but for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly.

"Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life."

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Libby (right) was at Mr Cheney's side in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks

What's the background to the case?

Libby was found guilty of perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements following an investigation into a leak that revealed the name of CIA agent Valerie Plame.

His trial heard that Bush administration officials wanted to get back at Ms Plame's husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson.

Mr Wilson had written a 2003 New York Times op-ed accusing Mr Cheney of doctoring pre-war intelligence on Iraq.

Libby was charged with lying to investigators about his contacts with reporters, but he maintained he simply misremembered the sequence of events.

He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $250,000 (£175,000).

But his sentence was commuted by then-President George W Bush.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ms Plame and her husband, Joe Wilson, at a 2006 news conference

What's the reaction?

In an interview on Friday with MSNBC, Ms Plame condemned Mr Trump's decision to pardon Libby.

"My personal sense is that I didn't think my contempt for Donald Trump could go lower, but he surprises me each and every day," she said.

"It's very clear that this is a message he is sending, that you can commit crimes against national security and you will be pardoned," she added.

Ms Plame has previously said her career as a CIA agent was finished "in an instant" once her identity was leaked.

She told the BBC in 2007 that "treason" had been committed in pursuit of political retribution.

Mr Cheney told the New York Times Mr Libby is "one of the most capable, principled and honourable men I have ever known.

"He is innocent and he and his family have suffered for years because of his wrongful conviction. I am gratedful that President Trump righted this wrong..."

On Friday, Democrats charged Mr Trump with hypocrisy for pardoning a man who leaked to the media, despite the president's condemnation of such disclosures in his White House.

Mr Trump's decision came on the same day that he savaged former FBI Director James Comey as a "proven LEAKER & LIAR".

Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff tweeted: "This is the President's way of sending a message to those implicated in the Russia investigation: You have my back and I'll have yours."

You might also be interested in:

What was Libby case's political fallout?

Mr Cheney had pressured Mr Bush to pardon Libby in the final days of his presidency.

But Mr Cheney's badgering reached the point where Mr Bush reportedly told his aides his vice-president was beginning to annoy him.

After consulting White House lawyers, Mr Bush decided it was best not to issue a pardon.

When he finally told Mr Cheney about his decision, Mr Cheney snapped at him, saying: "You are leaving a good man wounded on the field of battle."

"The comment stung," Mr Bush would write in his memoirs.

"In eight years, I had never seen Dick like this, or even close to this.

"I worried that the friendship we had built was about to be severely strained, at best."

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Protesters rally against White House leaks in 2005

What is a presidential pardon?

Libby's pardon amounts to official forgiveness for his crime, but does not equate to exoneration or finding that he was innocent.

Presidential pardons can overturn consequences of a conviction such as being denied the right to carry out jury service, vote or run for political office.

Since the conviction, Libby has already had his law license reinstated.

And former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell restored his voting rights in 2013.

This is the third time Mr Trump has issued a pardon.

In August last year, he did so for former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt over his crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

Last month he pardoned Kristian Saucier, a Navy sailor who took photos of classified areas inside a US submarine and served a year in federal prison.</s>(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite). FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2005 file photo, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, walks to the U.S. District Court in Washington. President Donald Trump plans to pardon I. Lewis "Sco...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's pardon of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney (all times local):

President Donald Trump has issued a full pardon to I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says in a statement Friday that Trump has issued the pardon.

Libby is Cheney's former chief of staff. He was convicted of lying to investigators and obstruction of justice following the 2003 leak of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame.

President George W. Bush later commuted Libby's 30-month prison sentence, but didn't issue a pardon despite intense pressure from Cheney. No one was ever charged with the leak.

Trump says in the statement that he does not know Libby, but "for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly. Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life."

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Friday, President Trump issued a Pardon to Lewis Libby Jr. who is the former Chief of Staff to the 46th Vice President, Dick Cheney.

Lewis Libby Jr. known as ‘Scooter’ was convicted of perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements stemming from an investigation into the leaking of the covert identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame, in 2007.

George W. Bush, the 43rd U.S President, commuted Libby’s sentence but did not issue a full pardon.

Here is the full statement from the White House:

“Today, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Grant of Clemency (Full Pardon) to I. ‘Scooter’ Lewis Libby, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Richard Cheney, for convictions stemming from a 2007 trial. President George W. Bush commuted Mr. Libby’s sentence shortly after his conviction. Mr. Libby, nevertheless, paid a $250,000 fine, performed 400 hours of community service, and served two years of probation.

“In 2015, one of the key witnesses against Mr. Libby recanted her testimony, stating publicly that she believes the prosecutor withheld relevant information from her during interviews that would have altered significantly what she said. The next year, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals unanimously reinstated Mr. Libby to the bar, reauthorizing him to practice law. The Court agreed with the District of Columbia Disciplinary Counsel, who stated that Mr. Libby had presented ‘credible evidence’ in support of his innocence, including evidence that a key prosecution witness had ‘changed her recollection of the events in question.’

“Before his conviction, Mr. Libby had rendered more than a decade of honorable service to the Nation as a public servant at the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the White House. His record since his conviction is similarly unblemished, and he continues to be held in high regard by his colleagues and peers.

“In light of these facts, the President believes Mr. Libby is fully worthy of this pardon. ‘I don’t know Mr. Libby,’ said President Trump, ‘but for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly. Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life.”

Click here to learn more.

The post Trump pardons ‘Scooter’ Libby, Dick Cheney’s former Chief of Staff appeared first on 850 WFTL.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump's pardon of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney (all times local):

President Donald Trump has issued a full pardon to I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says in a statement Friday that Trump has issued the pardon.

Libby is Cheney's former chief of staff. He was convicted of lying to investigators and obstruction of justice following the 2003 leak of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame.

President George W. Bush later commuted Libby's 30-month prison sentence, but didn't issue a pardon despite intense pressure from Cheney. No one was ever charged with the leak.

Trump says in the statement that he does not know Libby, but "for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly. Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life."</s>WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney who was convicted in 2007 of lying to a grand jury and obstructing justice in a case that culminated in the leaking of a CIA officer’s identity.

I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, now 67 years old, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Then-President George W. Bush commuted that sentence, describing it as “excessive,” but he didn’t issue a pardon, despite entreaties from Mr. Cheney. Mr. Libby’s conviction capped a four-year investigation...</s>JUST IN: Pres. Trump grants full pardon to Scooter Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.



"For years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly," the president said. "Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life.” pic.twitter.com/aGQBubk2Cz — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 13, 2018

President Donald Trump has issued a full pardon to I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says in a statement Friday that Trump has issued the pardon.Libby is Cheney's former chief of staff. He was convicted of lying to investigators and obstruction of justice following the 2003 leak of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame.President George W. Bush later commuted Libby's 30-month prison sentence, but didn't issue a pardon despite intense pressure from Cheney. No one was ever charged with the leak.Trump says in the statement that he does not know Libby, but "for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly. Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life."</s>US President Donald Trump issued a full pardon Friday to Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was convicted of revealing the identity of an undercover CIA agent while serving as chief of staff to then-Vice President Dick Cheney in 2001-2005.

"I don't know Mr. Libby," President Trump said, "but for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly. Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life."</s>President Donald Trump issued a full pardon Friday to I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Trump said he does not know Libby, but "for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly. Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life," according to a statement issued by White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders announcing the pardon.

Libby, Cheney's former chief of staff, was convicted of lying to investigators and obstruction of justice following the 2003 leak of the covert identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame. President George W. Bush later commuted Libby's 30-month prison sentence, but didn't issue a pardon despite intense pressure from Cheney. No one was ever charged for the leak.

Since then, the Libby case has been criticized by conservatives, who argue he was the victim of an overly zealous and politically motivated prosecution by a special counsel. Another twist is that the special counsel, Patrick Fitzgerald, was appointed by James Comey, deputy attorney general at the time. Comey later became head of the FBI, but was fired by Trump, and has since written a book highly critical of the president.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, while declining at the time to confirm Trump's plans for a pardon, said earlier Friday that "many people think that Scooter Libby was the victim of a special counsel gone amok." Asked if a pardon would be about Comey, Conway said no.

Plame appeared on MSNBC Friday morning and said a pardon would send a message "that you can commit crimes against national security and you will be pardoned."

The pardon was the third for Trump. He granted one last year for former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was awaiting sentencing for contempt of court. Trump also pardoned a U.S. Navy sailor, who was convicted after taking photos of classified portions of a submarine.

Conservative criticism of the special counsel in the Plame case echoes critiques of Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading an investigation into Russian election interference, possible coordination with Trump associates and potential obstruction of justice by the president. Trump has called that probe a "witch hunt."</s>President Donald Trump is preparing to pardon Scooter Libby, the chief of staff to former Vice President Dick Cheney, according to ABC News.

Libby was found guilty of lying to the FBI and obstructing justice after a special prosecutor investigated the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity to the media.

President George W. Bush commuted Libby’s jail sentence before leaving office but did not pardon him, a decision that infuriated Cheney.

“I can’t believe you’re going to leave a soldier on the battlefield,” Cheney told Bush, according to an account in Bush’s memoirs, when the president informed him of his decision.

Fueled by Democrats, the Valerie Plame scandal was a focal point of media coverage during Bush’s second term in office as he agreed to let a special prosecutor take the case. Despite hopes that the investigation would lead to key White House staffers like Karl Rove or even Cheney himself, no one was ever charged with leaking Plame’s identity.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned former George W. Bush administration official Lewis “Scooter” Libby, who was convicted of lying in an investigation of the unmasking of a CIA agent, in a step that underscored Trump’s willingness to grant pardons in high-profile cases.

Conservatives had pushed for a pardon for Libby for years after former Vice President Dick Cheney was unable to persuade Bush to do it late in his presidency. Bush did, however, commute Libby’s 2 1/2-year prison sentence.

Libby, a top aide to Cheney during the run-up and early years of the Iraq war, was found guilty in 2007 of lying and obstructing an investigation into who blew the cover of a CIA officer, Valerie Plame, whose husband, former diplomat Joe Wilson, had criticized the Iraq war.

“I don’t know Mr. Libby,” Trump said in a statement, “but for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly. Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life.”

Libby could not immediately be reached for comment.

It was the second high-profile pardon of Trump’s tenure. Last year, he pardoned Joe Arpaio, a former Arizona sheriff who had campaigned for Trump, less than a month after he was convicted of criminal contempt in a case involving racial profiling.
U.S. President Donald Trump pardons former Vice-President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was convicted of lying about leaks to the media.