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Grades 4-6
The Verdict: Guilty
Last Tuesday, a jury found I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby guilty of serious criminal charges. Libby was Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff. He left the top job after charges were brought against him.
Libby was convicted of obstruction of justice, giving false statements to the FBI and twice committing perjury, or lying under oath. The charges were brought after Libby testified in 2004 as part of an investigation to determine who leaked the name of Valerie Plame to the press. Plame worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It is illegal to name undercover CIA officers, because of their dangerous work.
Another government official admitted that he had revealed Plame's identity. The jury said that Libby lied about his role in the leak. He swore that he did not remember when he learned about Plame's identity and that reporters had told him about Plame. Others contradicted what he said. "Having a high-level official lie under oath is something that can never be accepted," said prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.
Libby is the highest-ranking White House official to be convicted of a felony in 20 years. His lawyers said they will seek a new trial.
