The Daily Muck

Libby Declared Guilty in Perjury Trial
“I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted on Tuesday of lying to a grand jury and to F.B.I. agents investigating the leak of the identity of a C.I.A. operative in the summer of 2003 amid a fierce public dispute over the war in Iraq.” (The New York Times) Speaking to the press after the verdict, juror Denis Collins said that there was a “tremendous amount of sympathy” for Libby, adding that the decision was based solidly on the evidence and that “opinion had very little to do with it.” (The Los Angeles Times)

Whistle-blower Blocked by NSA, LA Times
“Whistle-blower AT&T technician Mark Klein says his effort to reveal alleged government surveillance of domestic Internet traffic was blocked not only by U.S. intelligence officials but also by the top editors of the Los Angeles Times.” Klein discovered “secret NSA rooms” in the AT&T switching center in San Francisco. (ABC News)

Limits on Secret Evidence in Corruption Trial
“Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes and former CIA official Kyle ‘Dusty’ Foggo will have limited access to top-secret evidence while preparing their defense against corruption charges, a judge has ruled. Defense attorneys will have to receive security clearances and abide by strict rules to prevent dissemination of classified material, according to a ruling Monday by U.S. District Judge Larry Burns.” (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Guam Taxpayers Bankrolled Abramoff
While Guam’s judiciary body continues to investigate the near half a million dollars used to pay indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, continued scrutiny has revealed an extensive set of perks for which the Abramoff and associated charged the Guam government, including vacations, golf trips, and Bruce Springsteen tickets. (Kuam News)

Jefferson May Not Get Appointment“Under pressure from House Republicans, Speaker Nancy Pelosi may be backing away from a plan to place Rep. William J. Jefferson on the Homeland Security Committee.” Jefferson is under investigation for bribery, drawing fire from House Republicans who cite Pelosi’s stated commitment to ethics reform. (CQPolitics.com)

Obama Investments Raise Eyebrows
“Less than two months after ascending to the United States Senate, Barack Obama bought more than $50,000 worth of stock in two speculative companies whose major investors included some of his biggest political donors.” One of the companies was in the process of developing avian flu treatments; Obama headed a legislative push to fund efforts fighting the disease. A spokesman for Obama said that the senator had no knowledge of the stocks because they were part of a blind trust. Upon learning of the stocks, Obama sold them for a net loss of $13,000. (New York Times)