WASHINGTON — The White House exchanged volleys Thursday with President Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), over the question of executive clemency, with each side accusing the other of unpardonable acts.
Twice on Thursday the White House challenged criticism that the Clintons had directed at President Bush's commutation Monday of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's prison sentence.
The Clintons sought to distinguish their record on pardons, accusing Bush of attempting to protect the White House from scrutiny in sparing former vice presidential aide Libby prison.
Firing back, the Republican National Committee posted on its website, GOP.com, "A Sampling of Controversial Clinton Pardons and Commutations." Clemency granted by President Clinton included 140 pardons on his last day in office in January 2001.
"I don't know what Arkansan is for 'chutzpah,' but this is a gigantic case of it," White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said.
Meanwhile Libby, who had faced 30 months behind bars until Bush interceded, on Thursday paid a $250,000 fine imposed as part of his perjury and obstruction conviction, according to court records. The fine was paid from "personal savings," said his lawyer William Jeffress.
Friends and supporters of Libby have raised some $5 million through a legal defense fund. An advisor said the fund was not used to pay the fine.
Libby is continuing to appeal his March conviction in the CIA leak case.
Bush's commutation left intact the fine, as well as two years' supervised release -- a form of probation. The judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, has said he is not sure the law allows for the imposition of probation when a defendant has served no time in jail. He has asked lawyers to advise him on the issue by Monday.
Snow said Thursday that Bush intended for Libby to be subject to the probation.
Clinton's burst of presidential clemency on his last day in office included pardons for his half-brother, who had been convicted of cocaine distribution, and for a businessman under investigation for money laundering who was represented by a brother of Sen. Clinton.
President Clinton's most notorious pardon was of fugitive financier Marc Rich, whose ex-wife, Denise, was a Democratic Party fundraiser and patron of the Clinton presidential library.
