March 6, 2007

Breaking: Libby Guilty on Four of Five Counts

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CNN reports that the jury in the Scooter Libby trial has returned a guilty verdict on four of five counts. Libby faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.

Update: More from CNN.

Libby was convincted of:

  • Obstruction of justice when he intentionally deceived a grand jury investigating the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame
  • Making a false statement by intentionally lying to FBI agents about a conversation with NBC newsman Tim Russert
  • Perjury when he lied in court about his conversation with Russert
  • A second count of perjury when he lied in court about conversations with other reporters
    •

    Jurors found Libby not guilty of a second count of making a false statement relating to a conversation he had with Matt Cooper of TIME. Libby’s defense team plans to appeal.

    Mother Jones has covered the Libby trial from start to finish.

    “The Libby Trial: Courtroom Theatrics in the Closing Arguments,” February 21, 2007

    “The Libby Trial: Tim Russert Takes the Stand,” February 7, 2007

    “Leakers Who Lunch: Judith Miller Testifies How Scooter Libby Pushed Plame Story,” January 30, 2007

    “Libby Defense Lawyer: Scooter Scapegoated, Culprit is Karl,” January 23, 2007

    “Plame Case: Fitzgerald is Getting Nifonged,” January 17, 2007

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    WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

    “Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

    That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

    That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

    Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

    This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

    “This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

    Wow.

    And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

    About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

    If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

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