UNITED STATES V. I. LEWIS LIBBY

Readers fascinated by politics and the law will want to pick up this book, which features edited trial transcripts from the federal case against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, who was convicted of obstruction of justice and making false statements in the investigation of the alleged outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame (in a July, 2003 column by Robert Novak). Waas begins with a detailed chronology of events, a list of people involved in the case and an insightful introduction, setting the scene nicely for the trial. The bulk of the book is composed of trial testimony from various witnesses, some minor celebrities among them (like NBC newsman Tim Russert). Waas interjects from time to time with background information or analysis, and introduces each witness with a short biography explaining his or her connection to the case. Opening and closing statements from both sides provide a good summary of the issues, and an interesting appendix contains copies of original documents, such as Libby's handwritten notes and Cheney's own copy of Novak's Plame-naming op-ed piece. While this holds limited appeal for all but the most diehard politicos and legal types, it makes an excellent resource for anyone who wants to understand the scandal in general and Libby's case in particular.
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