Libby Indicted

Scooter Libby pulled down a 5 charge indictment (one count of obstruction of justice, and two each of perjury and false statements) from Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's grand jury and has resigned as Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff.  No indictment as yet for Karl Rove, but the investigation continues.

If convicted, Libby could face up to 17 years without parole in federal prison.  From Fitzgerald's press release:

The charges allege that Libby lied to FBI agents who interviewed him on Oct. 14 and Nov. 26, 2003; committed perjury while testifying under oath before the grand jury on March 5 and March 24, 2004; and engaged in obstruction of justice by impeding the grand jury’s investigation into the unauthorized disclosure – or 'leaking' – of Valerie Wilson’s affiliation with the CIA to various reporters in the spring of 2003.

Democrat leaders feigned melancholy and waxed grandiose.

"The criminal indictments of a top White House official mark a sad day for America and another chapter in the Republicans' culture of corruption. At the heart of these indictments was the effort by the Bush Administration to discredit critics of its Iraq policy with reckless disregard for national security and the public trust," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

"This case is bigger than the leak of highly classified information. It is about how the Bush White House manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to bolster its case for the war in Iraq and to discredit anyone who dared to challenge the president," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in a statement.

Items published today by Fitzgerald's office:

• Press Release
• Libby Indictment
• Media Advisory

Liveblog by Michelle Malkin of Fitzgerald's press conference.

Video of the event, courtesy of The Political Teen