House Judiciary Committee Hearings on Crony Commutations

Jesse Lee at The Gavel reports: Chairman Conyers has announced the witness list for Wednesday’s hearing: Ambassador Joseph Wilson; Roger Adams, US Department of Justice Pardon Attorney; Douglas A. Berman, William B. Saxbe Designated Professor of Law, Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University; Tom Cochran, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Middle District of North Carolina (Attorney for Vincent Rita, Rita v. US); David Rifkin, partner, Baker & Hostetler LLP, former Justice Department official during the Reagan and Bush Sr. administrations. Chairman Conyers added: “Congress must now look into presidential authority to grant clemency, and how such power may be abused. Taken to its extreme, and possibly in the case of the Libby clemency, the use of such authority could completely circumvent the law enforcement process and prevent credible efforts to investigate wrongdoing in the executive branch.” Chairman Conyers has also asked President Bush to waive any claims of Executive Privilege regarding his commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison sentence, and to allow his aides to provide information on the matter.