What are the specifics of the Scooter Libby case?

Question

What were the specific charges? What acts were alleged that led to the intictment, trial and conviction? what evidence was presented for each side? What are the alleged grounds for appeal?

I'm asking this because the questions and answers here all seem to be discussing everything but the specifics. Any details would be appreciated. Thanks.

Queen, thanks for the info! You keep conflating the perjury and obstruction issue with the "outing" issue. Plame may have been covert, but obviously no one was charged with outing her. Maybe the law should be changed.

Also, in a letter responding to the Senate Iraq intelligence investigation, Wilson himself said he never claimed to debunk the story that Iraq was seeking uranium in Niger:

"I never claimed to have "debunked" the allegation that Iraq was seeking uranium from Africa."
http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/05/07/con05233.html

Joe Wilson is no example of honesty. But that's also besides the point.

I was not aware of the notes. Thanks again. Libby has himself in enough trouble without bringing in the "covertness" issue!

Answer 1

here are the specs

Count 1 Obstruction of justice
Count 2 False Statements- lying to the FBI
Count 3 False Statements- lying to the FBI about his conversations with Matt Cooper
Count 4 Perjury- lying to the grand jury about his conversation with Tim Russert
Count 5 Perjury- lying to the grand jury about his conversations with Matt Cooper

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/documents/libby_indictment_28102005.pdf
Libby had notes he could have referred back to. He was interviewed on separate occasions by the FBI and he still said the same garbage. People fail to understand that he was not only Cheney's Chief of Staff, his job was also that of DIRECT advisor to the President.
So if he did not tell the truth as to how he got the information and why he divulged it and for what reason it was divulged, this is obstucting an investigation.
People have claimed she was not covert, so the federal prosecutor as well as the CIA, Matt Cooper, Tim Russert and Judith Miller are all liars and Libby is the only one telling the truth.
In addition, they claim this was a non crime because she was not covert- a fact refuted by the CIA which is why the CIA limited her testimony in front of Congress. Even if the Libby supporters claims were true, Brewster Jennings, the "cover" company did not have just one employee, so all the " covert" agents that used this corporation for cover had their cover blown.
Brewster Jennings was company that placed human intelligence in places to gather information on nuclear proliferation i.e. WMDs and were supposedly a few weeks away from putting "Brewster Jennings" employees in place to gather information on Iranian nuclear capabilities when the name was published in the paper by Robert Novak. So all the work that was put in for years before was destroyed as retaliation against one man who called them out about "lying" the country into war, since Wilson stated in his op-ed piece that the administration lied about one of the premises for going to war in Iraq- the claim that Saddam was trying to buy uranium from Niger. His was just one of 3 reports that refuted the claim, yet it was still used by both the President and VP in speeches in the run up to this Iraq War
Prosecution evidence presented was testimony by the people Libby claimed told HIM about Valerie Plame as well as his own notes which showed he knew what he knew before he spoke to the FBI and the grand jury.
Defense was calling the writer of the expose- Robert Novak who said he got the information from someone else.
The alleged grounds for appeal were that they felt the judge's instructions were unfair or prejudicial to their client. Ironic, considering the conservative judge was appointed for his "law and order" stance and for handing down harsh sentences.
The President commuted his sentence before the real appeals process began. What Scooter lost were his appeals to stay out of jail pending his appeal.

Answer 2

the queen reigns said it all. I especially like the attention to detail regarding the covert status of Plame (she WAS covert) and the fact that bush coomuted his sentence BEFORE all of the appeals had been exhausted (which Tony Snow had asserted over and over that the president would not step oin until all appeals were exhausted)