Scooter Libby Disbarred

WASHINGTON — Former top White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was banned Thursday from practicing law in the nation's capital following his perjury conviction in the case of a CIA operative's leaked identity. The disbarment order of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals had been expected.

"When a member of the bar is convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude, disbarment is mandatory," the appeals court ruled.

Last May, a court panel that oversees lawyer ethics recommended that Libby be stripped of his law license in Washington. The Board on Professional Responsibility then found that Libby's conviction for lying to the FBI about the case of former CIA operative Valerie Plame amounted to "crimes that involve moral turpitude."

"This action is required by the rules following a conviction regardless of the merits of the case, and for that reason Mr. Libby expected and did not oppose the court's order," said Libby attorney William Jeffress.

Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was first licensed to work as a lawyer in Washington in 1978. His membership with the D.C. bar also was suspended for failing to pay his dues, records show.

Thursday's appeals court ruling also noted that "neither bar counsel nor respondent has taken exception to the board's report and recommendation."

Libby was the only person to face criminal charges in the case of the 2003 leak of Plame's identity. Plame has since left the CIA and contends the White House was trying to discredit her husband, a critic of President Bush's Iraq policy.

Last July, Bush commuted Libby's 2 1/2-year sentence, sparing him from serving any prison time after being convicted of perjury and obstructing justice. Libby dropped appeals to have his convictions overturned. He has paid a $250,000 fine and remains on two years probation.

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On the Net:

The disbarment order can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/2rhu9q

(This version CORRECTS name of court to District of Columbia Court of Appeals)

Comments

[sugarmoes]

his disbarment should be replaced with iron bars around his person.

[queeraz]

How much $$$ from the missing billions in Iraq are in Scooters off shore account all because of him performing his "duty" to his commander in chief?

[madron]

The repukes have ruined this country...­.and it's sad.....

[kfdan]

"Former top White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was banned Thursday from practicing law in the nation's capital following his perjury conviction in the case of a CIA operative's leaked identity."

I doubt that this action will seriously effect Libby's ability to make money and continue is business. He's being taken care of by his cronies ... that will continue!

[newworldman777]

I saw a few posts that made the point that Libby's disbarment really means nothing. Hours before Bush leaves office, he will pardon Libby, thus enabling him to regain his right to practice law. That's a given. If you recall during the trial, Libby showed no concern, no emotion (as he is doing now) when it was revealed that his minion Cheney would not be testifying. His curious lack of concern indicated that he knew that his buddy Bush would be commuting, and eventually pardoning, him for his crime. Therefore, the trial and all of the aftermath are simply inconvenient formalities that these criminals must deal with before they can put it all behind them and carry on with their sordid lives, as though they had never done anything wrong.

When all is said and done, if one judges their characters by what their eventual "doctored up" records will indicate, then one might conclude that they must be outstanding citizens. If we all had friends in high places who could clean our own records up and erase past indiscretions and criminal behavior, we'd all appear as though we were model citizens. What a joke.

[MsLiz]

I don't think that a pardon would automatically result in re-admission to the bar.

[partyofone]

Good to hear this news. Are there proceedings against Alberto Gonzalez and all his cronies in the Justice Department, That will be the real test.

[darthmaul]

Unless he is convicted of a crime, Gonzalez will be home free. He's currently "replenishing his coffers" (bush speak for getting gullible, beholden interest groups to pay tribute) giving speeches. He's been repeating this lie, that Bush is "like Lincoln" and that "people didn't like Lincoln during his administra­tion." History will be the judge and all that. Historians generally rate Lincoln as the greatest president, and Bush currently is rated by historians as one of the worst presidents.

[editorLA]

Just 304 days until Libby is pardoned for his bit-part in pretending there were WMD's in Iraq.

[meanpeoplesuck]

Yeah, he will be pardoned. Too bad for him he'll have that in common with a scumbag named Marc Rich. I feel his pain.

[sugarmoes]

and one committed the highest of high state crimes. repeatedly.

[kellygrrrl]

Every little bit of Punitive Action taken against the NeoCons helps the healing process for US.

This may seem of little comfort, but it's something.

I hope that we live to see Criminal Indictments handed down against Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Bush, et al.

I'm certain none of them will ever spend a day in jail, but just the acknowledgment of their criminal actions will go a long way in the hearts and minds of the People.

[wordvarc]

Agreed. If Justice still exists, there is a cell at The Hague for that bunch.

[meanpeoplesuck]

Will you people stop with this criminal indictment stuff. It makes you sound more ignorant than what you already are. Hail to our Commander in Chief!

[Arethirtypercentinsane]

Grow up and become a real American. Join the Democratic party now!!!

[intuition]

Another Bush casualty -- what is it that a full 1/3 of the country cannot see? Everything he touches turns to ruin and, yet, the arrogance that remains in his victim is just amazing -- the arrogance of the GOP to put up "John McCain More of the Same" in the wake of leaving our country in shambles in unfathomable!

[chirps]

65% of Republicans think Bush is doing a good job!

Dumbness, thy name is G.O.P.

[MsLiz]

Gullible Old Pharts.

[WallStreetNobody]

Can you find one person in the Bush/Cheney administration that ever left in a better position than they were when they entered? Bloomberg hit the nail on the head when they described working in the Bush administration as being the ultimate resume destroyer.

[MsLiz]

John Ashcroft. He's making millions.

[twofish]

It only destroys their reputations with normal, decent people. The Repiglicans bang their paws (hooves?) together and give them high-paying jobs making up new facts and stringing them together into position papers. Or fixing the next election.

[missntexas]

Scooter Libby had no honor to begin with

[GerryS]

Disbarred seems a bit harsh when Cheney and GWB got nothing-

[wolfgangmo]

Harsh? Harsh?

Are you kidding? The man outed a covert agent and everyone she ever worked with. Many a good agent may have or may yet lose their lives.

And you call disbarment harsh? What are you smoking? The same shit Bush is?

[partyofone]

I think disbarment is justice for Libby. It should be the fate of Gonzalez too. It should have been Bill Clinton's fate as well. Lying under oath for anyone is a crime, for those elected or sworn to enforce the law, and particularly for the president of the United States, lying under oath should lead to full prosecution and disbarment if they are lawyers.

[MsLiz]

Clinton was disbarred.

[jennbeez]

Bush will invent an executive "rebar option."

[eugenegerard]

In jail he would definately be a butt boy. Out of jail he is definately a butt boy.

[NicoleAnonymous]

Why did they suddenly start "approving" all responses here? I thought I had actually found a discussion where you didn't have to wait hours for your response to appear and now they're saying that have to "approve" all the responses.

[ohboy]

Because this is Amerika. Ask Arianna.

[MsLiz]

Since Bill O'Reilly's staff started looking for bad examples he can cite.