US:A former aide to vice-president Dick Cheney lied to the FBI because he was worried he might face criminal charges for blowing a CIA employee's cover, the prosecution said yesterday as his trial neared its close.
Lewis "Scooter" Libby also feared he would lose his job as Mr Cheney's chief of staff after he enlisted him to clear his name, prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg told the jury in his closing argument.
Mr Libby is on trial for lying to investigators trying to find out who leaked CIA analyst Valerie Plame's identity after her husband accused the White House of twisting intelligence to bolster the case for invading Iraq.
Mr Libby's defence team said the government's entire case rested on two phone calls with reporters - not enough to prove him guilty. Over four weeks, jurors have heard government officials and journalists describe how Mr Libby sought information on Ms Plame and her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, and passed it to reporters - weeks before he says he learned about her. - (Reuters)