--- title: Why George W. Bush Didn't Pardon Scooter Libby description: George W. Bush refused to pardon Scooter Libby, a former aide to Dick Cheney. Here's why. canonical: https://time.com/5239767/trump-george-w-bush-dick-cheney-scooter-libby-pardon/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-04-13T19:40:13.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T19:58:05.254Z article:section: History og:title: Why Scooter Libby Didn't Get a Presidential Pardon Until Just Now og:description: George W. Bush refused to pardon Libby, a former aide to Dick Cheney og:url: https://time.com/5239767/trump-george-w-bush-dick-cheney-scooter-libby-pardon/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4445154edaa39864/69892da2929fad13e8bf043d/libby-scooter-cheney-bush-pardon-trump.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: libby-scooter-cheney-bush-pardon-trump og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Scooter Libby Didn't Get a Presidential Pardon Until Just Now twitter:description: George W. Bush refused to pardon Libby, a former aide to Dick Cheney twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4445154edaa39864/69892da2929fad13e8bf043d/libby-scooter-cheney-bush-pardon-trump.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Scooter Libby Didn't Get a Presidential Pardon Until Just Now  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Apr 13, 2018 7:40 PM UTC  Lewis 'Scooter' Libby arrives for a federal courthouse hearing on Jun. 14, 2007 Lewis 'Scooter' Libby arrives for a federal courthouse hearing on Jun. 14, 2007Mark Wilson—Getty Images  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Apr 13, 2018 7:40 PM UTC President Donald Trump on Friday [pardoned](http://time.com/5239612/donald-trump-scooter-libby-full-pardon/) former Vice President Dick Cheney’s onetime Chief of Staff Lewis “Scooter” Libby, who was convicted in 2007 of perjury and obstruction of justice in the investigation of the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity. President George W. Bush had already been accused of [showing favoritism](http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=11688807) to someone within his administration when he commuted Libby’s sentence, which saved Libby from serving two-and-a-half-years in jail. But pardons go further, restoring [some rights](http://time.com/4876374/donald-trump-joe-arpaio-pardons-history/) that are usually revoked for those with criminal convictions as well as reducing the stigma that comes with the offense. That’s what Cheney wanted for his former aide. But Bush thought Libby didn’t deserve a pardon, and Cheney never forgave him. Here’s why, as TIME explained in its Aug. 3, 2009, [cover story on the feud](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1912414,00.html): --- > “” --- [_Click here to read the whole article_](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1912414,00.html) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5239767/trump-george-w-bush-dick-cheney-scooter-libby-pardon/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5239767/trump-george-w-bush-dick-cheney-scooter-libby-pardon/"},"headline":"Why Scooter Libby Didn't Get a Presidential Pardon Until Just Now","datePublished":"2018-04-13T19:40:13.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T19:58:05.254Z","description":"George W. 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