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WaxWorks
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Friday, July 06, 2007
 
Like Father, Like Son?

George W. Bush's commutation of Libby's sentence has made me think back to George Herbert Walker Bush's most infamous pardon. Bush Sr. pardoned Casper Weinberger on December 24, 1992, twelve days before Weinberger's trial for, ironically enough, lying to Congress and investigators in connection with the Iran Contra investigation was to begin. It marked the first time that a President pardoned someone in whose trial he might have been a witness.

Here's some background about Bush Sr's involvement in the Iran-Contra affair and how the Weinberger pardon saved him a lot of legal headaches himself, including possibly his own indictment:

As Weinberger's private notes contained references to Bush's endorsement of
the secret shipments to Iran, some believe that Bush's pardon was an effort to
prevent an order for Bush to appear before a grand jury or possibly to
avoid an indictment. Weinberger's indictment stated that Weinberger's notes
contradicted Bush's assertions that he had only peripheral knowledge of the arms
for hostages deal since Weinberger's personal notes.

- posted by Joshua @ 2:47 PM
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