Judicial Watch Statement on President Bush's Decision to Grant Executive Clemency to I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - July 3, 2007) - Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton offered the following statement today in response to President Bush's decision to grant Executive Clemency to I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, thereby commuting Libby's 30-month prison sentence.

"President Bush made the wrong decision to grant Executive Clemency to I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby. Libby was convicted of lying and obstructing justice because he feared the political consequences of telling the truth. Libby should have served at least a portion of his sentence just like any other criminal convicted of these serious crimes. Instead, Libby got a 'get out of jail free' card.

"President Bush's decision to wipe away Libby's prison sentence leaves the impression that government officials are above the law. As with many of the Clinton pardons, the Libby commutation undermines public confidence in our system of justice. How can the American people trust the system when politicians continue to step in and protect their own?"

For information on Judicial Watch's campaign against government corruption, please visit www.judicialwatch.org.

Judicial Watch, Inc., a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law. Through its educational endeavors, Judicial Watch advocates high standards of ethics and morality in our nation's public life and seeks to ensure that political and judicial officials do not abuse the powers entrusted to them by the American people. Judicial Watch fulfills its educational mission through litigation, investigations and public outreach.

Contact Information: Contact: Jill Farrell Judicial Watch 202-646-5188