The White House shot back at the Clinton campaign today over Libby's commutation, saying that Hillary has chutzpah to call Bush on his special treatment for Scooter. After all, Mark Rich got a full pardon from the outgoing Clinton in late 2000. The inside story to all of this is how close Libby was to Mark Rich.
Check out the six degrees of separation from The Contra Costa Times:
Before entering government, Libby was a private attorney who represented billionaire international commodities trader Marc Rich.Rich was indicted in 1983 by then-U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani on charges of tax evasion and illegal dealing with Iran during the American hostage crisis.
Rich fled to Switzerland. He also occupied a spot on the FBI's Most Wanted List for many years.
Giuliani, former mayor of New York, is now a leading Republican presidential candidate. He endorsed Bush's decision to spare Libby jail time even though he had tried to put Libby's client behind bars.
"After evaluating the facts, the president came to a reasonable decision, and I believe the decision was correct," Giuliani said in a written statement Monday evening.
Rich's fugitive days ended when former President Clinton pardoned him in January 2001, a move that prompted a congratulatory call from Libby to Rich.
Ah the tangled webs they weave inside the beltway.
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