WASHINGTON — The guilty verdicts Tuesday against former vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby made him the first high-level White House official convicted of a crime since the Iran-Contra scandal 20 years ago, and marked the latest fallout from the administration's handling of the run-up to the war in Iraq.
Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was found guilty by a jury on four of five counts of perjury and obstruction of justice and faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. But because of federal sentencing guidelines, he is expected to get much less -- perhaps two years. In addition, Libby could be fined as much as $250,000 for each guilty count.
Sentencing is set for June 5.
Libby remains free on a personal recognizance bond, and his lawyer said he would appeal. "We have every confidence that ultimately Mr. Libby will be vindicated," said Theodore V. Wells Jr. "We believe that he is totally innocent, and we intend to keep fighting."
Special Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald said he was gratified by the jury's verdict. "Any lie under oath is serious," he said. "It's obviously a serious matter in a case where there's a national security investigation."
Libby was charged with lying to investigators about his role in a White House campaign to discredit a critic of the administration -- an effort that led to the exposure of the critic's wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame.
One juror said the panel did not believe Libby's claim that he learned of Plame's identity from a journalist, when evidence showed he had discussed her in several White House meetings before that.
"The primary thing that convinced us was his conversation with [NBC newsman Tim] Russert," said Denis Collins, speaking for the 11-person panel. Collins said Libby was told nine times about Plame before he talked to Russert.
The verdicts Tuesday appeared to close the book on the CIA leak case, in which no one was ever charged with the crime of exposing Plame. Fitzgerald said he did not expect to file additional charges.
"We're all going back to our day jobs," he said.
The conviction of such a high-ranking White House official was one more setback for the Bush administration, already laboring under low approval ratings, public impatience with the war in Iraq and a new Democratic majority in Congress.
Democrats immediately used the verdicts to lambaste the White House.
