WASHINGTON

JUDGE MAY GAG LAWYERS IN LIBBY CASE

A federal judge overseeing the obstruction-of-justice case against a former White House official, I. Lewis Libby, indicated yesterday that the court may issue a gag order preventing prosecutors, defense attorneys, and their aides, from speaking with reporters or releasing documents not part of the official court record.

“Despite this court’s prior admonition, it appears that on several occasions information has been disseminated to the press by counsel,” Judge Reggie Walton wrote in a two-page order instructing the parties to explain by next Friday why a gag order should not be issued.”This court has strongly held views against lawyers trying to gain a tactical advantage by disseminating information to the media.”

The judge said the release of such information “undoubtedly has the potential to interfere with a fair trial or otherwise prejudice the due administration of justice.”

Judge Walton did not specify which disclosures disturbed him, but he may have been referring to the public release Tuesday of a letter in which the special prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, corrected an error in an earlier filing.The letter was obtained on Tuesday by some news outlets, including The New York Sun, but was not made public through the court Web site until the following day.

In a related development, the Washington Post reported that it was subpoenaed by Mr. Libby’s defense team to produce certain records related to the case. An attorney for the newspaper, Eric Lieberman, said the newspaper would comply by providing a complete copy of a memorandum an editor and reporter at the Post, Bob Woodward, prepared from an interview with Mr. Libby on June 27, 2003.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

SENATOR CLINTON RAISES CASH LIKE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Senator Clinton is raising money like a presidential candidate even though she’s only running against poorly funded Senate opponents.

The New York lawmaker, a potential 2008 presidential candidate, raised more than $6 million in the first three months of the year, according to papers filed yesterday with the Federal Election Commission.

The $2 million-a-month fund-raising pace gave her $19.7 million cash on hand at the end of March for her Senate re-election.

– Associated Press

WEST

MICHAEL JACKSON RESTRUCTURES FINANCES IN DEAL WITH SONY

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson restructured his finances with the help of Sony Corporation, which co-owns a valuable music catalogue with the pop star, Mr. Jackson attorneys said yesterday in a statement.

No terms of the deal or the state of Mr. Jackson’s finances, long believed to be troubled, were disclosed in a brief press release issued from Bahrain, where the pop star has been living since being acquitted of child molestation last year in California.

Earlier published reports said Mr. Jackson was negotiating a $325 million debt refinancing plan that would save him from bankruptcy but deprive him of part of his share of the catalog.

– Associated Press