US President George W. Bush on Monday commuted a 30-month jail term imposed on former top White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby for lying to federal investigators in a case that highlighted doubts over the case for the Iraq war.
"I respect the jury's verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive," Bush said in a statement.
"Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby's sentence that required him to spend 30 months in prison," Bush said.
Libby, who was a former trusted aide to US Vice President Dick Cheney, still faces a US$250,000 fine and a two-year probation after being convicted in March of perjury and obstructing justice.
Libby was found guilty of lying to federal investigators in a case probing whether White House officials had leaked the name of CIA officer Valerie Plame.
It was alleged that Plame's cover as a CIA agent was blown to avenge criticism of the White House's decision to go to war by her husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson, who argued that the case for the March 2003 invasion of Iraq was flawed.
Libby, 56, was found guilty in March of lying about conversations he had about Plame, but not of actually leaking her name to the press in July 2003.
Bush's decision came after a US judge on June 14 ordered Libby to jail while his lawyer appealed his sentence.
Federal judge Reggie Walton rejected Libby's bid to remain free on bail while appealing his conviction, saying his attorney had failed to show that he had a chance to win a reversal.
"I have said throughout this process that it would not be appropriate to comment or intervene in this case until Mr. Libby's appeals have been exhausted," Bush said.
"But with the denial of bail being upheld and incarceration imminent, I believe it is now important to react to that decision," he said.
"Critics point out that neither Mr. Libby nor anyone else has been charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act or the Espionage Act, which were the original subjects of the investigation," Bush said.
"Finally, critics say the punishment does not fit the crime: Mr. Libby was a first-time offender with years of exceptional public service and was handed a harsh sentence based in part on allegations never presented to the jury," he said.
Bush added that his decision to commute the jail term still left Libby facing a "harsh punishment" and having his reputation "forever damaged."
Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani said Bush had made "a reasonable decision."
A recent CNN poll had shown that 72 percent of the US public was against a full pardon for Libby.
US Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who brought the Libby case, disputed Bush's view that the sentence was "excessive," stressing that Libby "remains convicted by a jury of serious felonies, and we will continue to seek to preserve those convictions through the appeals process."
Senior opposition Democrats condemned Bush's decision.
Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, branded it a "betrayal of trust of the American people."
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid called it "disgraceful."
"The cause of equal justice in America took a serious blow today," said Senator John Edwards, a Democratic presidential hopeful.
"George Bush and his cronies think they are above the law and the rest of us live with the consequences," he said.
New York Senator and presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton said the Bush administration "simply considers itself above the law."
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