Bush Pardons 29 Convicts – But Not Cheney’s Former Top Aide
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON — President Bush granted pardons yesterday to carjackers, drug dealers, a moonshiner, and an election-laws violator but not to I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, his vice president’s former top aide who was convicted in the case of the leaked identity of a CIA operative. In all, Mr. Bush pardoned 29 convicts and reduced the prison sentence of one more in the end-of-the-year presidential tradition.
A Justice Department spokesman, Erik Ablin, said Mr. Bush has granted 142 pardons and commuted five sentences since taking office in 2001 — lagging far behind the pace set by most modern presidents. Mr. Bush was not expected to issue any more pardons this year.
In July, Mr. Bush commuted Libby’s 2 1/2 year sentence, sparing Vice President Cheney’s former chief of staff from serving any prison time after being convicted of perjury and obstructing justice.
