Lawyers in Leak Case Outline Libby's Defense

[Algorem]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/01/politics/01leak.html

By NEIL A. LEWIS
Published: February 1, 2006

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 — Lawyers for I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, offered a detailed outline on Tuesday of Mr. Libby's likely defense to charges that he lied about his role in exposing the identity of a C.I.A. operative.

In papers filed in federal court, the lawyers strongly suggested they would argue that if Mr. Libby's statements to investigators were untrue, it was a case of innocent confusion or faulty memory because of his preoccupation with weightier national security matters at the time.

Mr. Libby was indicted on five counts of perjury and obstruction of justice last October in what a special prosecutor had charged was his willful misleading of investigators about his role in the exposure of Valerie Wilson's connection to the Central Intelligence Agency. The indictment said that Mr. Libby concealed the fact that he learned of Ms. Wilson's connection to the agency from government officials and instead falsely told investigators that information he gave to reporters came from other journalists.

In a pleading filed in United States District Court, Mr. Libby's lawyers asked the judge to order the special counsel to obtain and turn over to them a large number of records, some of them classified, that demonstrate the kinds of issues he was involved in as both the chief of staff and national security adviser to Mr. Cheney...

[jsamuel]

1. so, basically, Libby's defense is....... 9/11

[NanceGreggs]

2. NOW I get it!!!!

"... it was a case of innocent confusion or faulty memory because of his preoccupation with weightier national security matters at the time."

In other words, "I FORGOT not to leak confidential information that directly impacts on NATIONAL SECURITY, because I was too busy worrying about NATIONAL SECURITY at the time."

[dave29]

3. The Chewbacca Defense

nice

[bluestateguy]

4. He should thank his lucky stars that he even gets to have a trial

He should be very grateful for that. Very, very grateful. Some people just get shipped off to Gitmo, without being charged, sent into solitary confinement and have no access to lawyers.

Libby should be very, very grateful that he gets the privilege of even having a trial and the right to put on a defense.

He should be very, very, very grateful for that.

Very grateful.

Libby should hang from a rope with his balls in his mouth. Same for Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling.

[HereSince1628]

5. His team still seems to be going for the "we are being denied our defense

strategy.

First they want reporters to be supoenaed. Now they want classified documents to be available in court.

If they don't get them they'll argue that they can't present a real defense of their client, and go for relief on that basis.