Washington – Potential jurors in the perjury trial of former White House aide Lewis “Scooter” Libby probably will be asked today their opinions of the Bush administration, political scandals and the Iraq war, foreshadowing the political tenor of a lengthy trial.
Libby is accused of lying to investigators about his conversations with reporters regarding outed CIA officer Valerie Plame. Plame’s identity was leaked to reporters in 2003 after her husband criticized the Bush administration’s prewar intelligence on Iraq.
The leak touched off a political firestorm and an FBI investigation that Libby is accused of obstructing.
Attorneys for both sides recognize the politics behind the case and have proposed questions for jurors about their views on government, politics and the media.
The answers will be critical for Libby, a Republican who served as an adviser to President Bush and chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. The jury is being drawn from a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans more than nine to one.
“What is your political party preference? Democrat, Republican, Independent or other?” defense attorneys wrote on their list of proposed jury questions.
“Please describe any feelings you have about Vice President Cheney,” they also asked.
U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton will put those questions to a group of about 60 potential jurors today. Each juror will then take the stand for follow-up questions from defense attorneys, prosecutors and the judge.
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald’s proposed list includes questions about what newspapers and magazines jurors read and where they get their news. He also wants to know whether their opinion of Libby’s former job would make it hard for them to be fair.
Among other questions on the list from defense attorneys:
“Based on what you know at this time, do you believe the administration misled the American people to justify going to war?”
“Have you been following any of the recent political scandals involving Jack Abramoff, William Jefferson, Tom DeLay, Cynthia McKinney or Mark Foley?”
“Do you have particularly strong feelings about the war in Iraq?”
Walton has scheduled opening statements to begin Monday.
