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Conyers asks Bush to waive privilege for Libby |
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By Kevin Bogardus
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Posted: 07/09/07 02:10 PM [ET] |
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House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) on Monday urged President Bush to waive executive privilege and allow White House aides to discuss the decision behind Scooter Libby’s commutation. In light of Libby’s prison sentence being commuted, Conyers is holding a hearing on Wednesday to discuss the use of presidential clemency power. Calling the decision “highly controversial” in a letter to Bush, the Michigan Democrat references “commentators” who are suggesting that Libby’s commutation removes any incentive for him to provide more information on the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame’s name to the press. Conyers cites past examples of White House officials testifying about the decision-making process behind pardons. After executive privilege was waived, aides to President Bill Clinton testified about Marc Rich’s pardon and President Gerald Ford talked about pardoning President Richard Nixon before congressional committees. The chairman hopes to have either Bush’s aides testify at this week’s hearing or in the near future, according to his letter. |
