As President Bush gets closer to leaving the White House, expectations are mounting that he will follow his predecessors in issuing a slew of last-minute pardons on his way back to Texas. Former Cheney chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, perhaps the best-known federal convict of the last eight years, may have filed a request for a pardon from President Bush, CNN's Sonny Hostin reported Monday. Libby was convicted of lying in the CIA leak case, but Bush commuted his sentence last year.A Justice Department spokesman told Newsweek that Libby has not personally requested a pardon. But investigative reporters Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball note that "speculation is rampant that Libby's allies will press Bush for one."Libby was found to have obstructed justice and lied to investigators probing the leak of former CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity in 2003. Convicted in June of last year, Libby served no time for his crimes, as Bush stepped in to commute the prison sentence before he was forced to go to jail. Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and community service requirements that were part of Libby's sentence. It's unclear whether Libby would get his money back if Bush pardons Libby, although such an outcome is possible.This video is from CNN's American Morning, broadcast Nov. 17, 2008.
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