When should an American president issue a pardon to a convicted criminal?
Will President Bush step in to keep Scooter Libby out of jail? For supporters of former White House aide Lewis “Scooter” Libby, who faces 30 months in jail for perjury and obstruction of justice, the answer is “right now”. They believe Libby is a loyal public servant who has been treated as a scapegoat for the administration and have called on President George W Bush to spare him a prison term. For others, the idea that Libby would be granted a pardon is political cronyism that goes against the very principle of how the power should be used. The question has become all the more urgent since Libby’s lawyers failed to persuade District Judge Reggie Walton not to send him to jail before his appeal is heard, meaning he could start his sentence within weeks. Experts agree that no matter how much Mr Bush may want to help his vice-president’s former chief-of-staff, granting a pardon right now – if Libby were to apply – would be politically risky. “Bush is perfectly capable of pardoning Libby
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