Libby Cites Martha Stewart To Avoid Prison

WASHINGTON — A former White House aide who faces 2 1/2 years in prison for perjury and obstruction, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, cited Martha Stewart in court documents yesterday as part of his bid to put his sentence on hold.

A federal judge agreed to put Stewart's five-month prison sentence on hold while she appealed her 2004 conviction for lying about a stock deal. WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers got a similar deal after his conviction in an $11 billion accounting fraud, as did David Safavian, a former White House official convicted in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

Libby mentioned those cases and others yesterday. At his sentencing last week, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said he saw no reason to delay the prison term but agreed to hear arguments on the issue.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald opposes delaying the sentence. Mr. Fitzgerald prosecuted Libby for lying to his grand jury and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. Judge Walton scheduled a hearing on Libby's requests for today.