Scooter Libby Pays His $250k Fine

By Jeralyn, Section Lewis Libby Trial Coverage
Posted on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 02:24:43 PM EST
Tags: Libby Trial (all tags)

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Scooter Libby paid his $250,000.00 fine today. A "source close to Libby" says he paid it with his personal funds, not with money from his legal fund.

He had no choice but to pay the fine now. On June 22, Judge Reggie Walton had ordered him to pay it immediately. (See page 7 of the Judgment in a Criminal Case. (pdf))

Update: Here's a new Dan Froomkin column. I think he's been providing the most thorough MSM coverage on the commutation.

And Tony Snow has an op-ed on Libby and Bush in USA Today. He still doesn't get it. No one is complaining that Bush grants too many pardons. He's far too stingy with them. The problem is when he does make a clemency decision, it's for one of his cronies.

By the way, getting Bush clemency figures since 2001 is no simple task. They are carefully guarded and don't appear on any government website. The folks at the Rehabilitated Project say they have them and have posted them here.

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Scooter Libby Pays His $250k Fine | 5 comments (5 topical)

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Poor Baby (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by squeaky on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 03:03:47 PM EST

Libby was just doing his job

So what if that happened to be lying. All good neocons are supposed to lie so that they can protect America. Leo Strauss and Macheivelli need to be put on the grade school reading lists.

BTW- $5mil in the Scooter Libby defense fund and we are suppose to feel sorry or proud of the guy for digging into his very deep pockets. Riiiiight.

Besidses no one seems to be coming up with why he is not paying from the defense fund, or anything about his financial holdings.

: And (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by squeaky on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 03:05:53 PM EST

Of course he will get pardoned. That is a given at this point.

Clemency records for past presidents (none / 0) (#3)
by Aaron on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:10:25 PM EST

For comparison

PRESIDENTIAL CLEMENCY ACTIONS BY ADMINISTRATION: 1945 to 2001

It ain't how many, it's who and why that counts.

Oh, I think Tony (none / 0) (#4)
by CCinNC on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:51:19 PM EST

"gets it" just fine. His press conference the other day is a good indication. He just enjoys confusing us.

Pay the fine "immediately" (none / 0) (#5)
by Peter G on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:10:19 PM EST

... under the law, means pay in full within 30 days after sentencing. See 18 USC 3572(h) (defining "delinquent" fine). A fine payment is in "default" if not paid within 90 days. 18 USC 3572(i). There is a 10% penalty due once the fine becomes "delinquent." The penalty once it goes into "default" is 15%. 18 USC 3612(g). If interest had not been waived, the interest would have started to run (at the T-bill rate), on top of any penalty, after 15 days. 18 USC 3612(f). The law also states that if a fine goes delinquent (unpaid for 30 days) the judge can recall the defendant and resentence him "to any sentence which might originally have been imposed." 18 USC 3614. I doubt the constitutionality of that last provision under the Double Jeopardy Clause, but that's what it says. Was today pushing the 30th day since Libby's sentencing? Also, if pardoned, he can apply for and get the quarter mil back, unless the President's "warrant of pardon" says otherwise.