FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC- In reaction to the conviction of Scooter Libby on 4 out of 5 criminal charges, Congressman Paul Hodes today issued the following statement:

"Scooter Libby was found guilty for trying to cover up the Bush Administration's war on the truth. The Administration used faulty intelligence to convince Americans that we needed to invade Iraq. Ambassador Joe Wilson exposed one of their lies, so Libby and his partners in dirty tricks retaliated against the truth. They played political games with our national security by ruining the career of Wilson's wife, an undercover CIA agent trying to keep our enemies from getting nuclear weapons. Libby's conviction is a victory for the truth, and clear evidence that the Bush Administration at its highest levels is more concerned with political gain than protecting us from terror and being honest about their reasons for starting the disastrous war in Iraq.

"If the lies and corruption of the Bush Administration go beyond Scooter Libby, we need to know. I urge the President and Vice President to cooperate with any further investigations, and I especially urge the President to avoid any temptation to pardon Scooter Libby for putting politics before national security."

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www.hodes.house.gov