Former US vice presidential aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby was found guilty today of four counts of lying, perjury and obstructing justice during an investigation tied to the Iraq war.
Mr Libby was accused of lying to a grand jury about his role in the 2003 leak of Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA agent, a few days after the publication of a newspaper article by her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, questioning intelligence claims made to justify the Iraq war.
Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief-of-staff had faced five charges: two counts of
Valerie Plame Wilson with her husband during a press conference in Washington last year
perjury, two counts of making false statements and one count of obstruction of justice.
The guilty verdict means Libby now faces up to 30 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines but under federal sentencing guidelines likely will receive far less.
No one has been charged with intentionally identifying Ms Plame, the wife of former ambassador Joseph Wilson. However during the trial, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald accused Libby of repeatedly lying to federal agents investigating the leak of Ms Plame's identity in an effort to conceal Mr Cheney's role.
Speaking today, Mr Fitzgerald said he was "gratified" by the jury's verdict. "The results are actually sad, it's sad that we had a high level official, a person who worked in the office of the vice president, obstructed justice and lied under oath. We wish that had not happened, but it did," he said.
Mr Cheney said he was "very disappointed" with the verdict while White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said: "The president was informed. He was in the oval office. He saw the verdict read on television... He said that he respected the jury's verdict. He said he was saddened for 'Scooter' Libby and his family".
"Any administration that has to go through a prolonged news story that is unpleasant and one that is difficult when they're under the constraints of a policy of (not commenting on ongoing legal proceedings), that can be very frustrating."
Libby's lawyer Theodore Wells said after today's verdict: "We are very disappointed with the verdict of the jury... We intend to file a motion for a new trial and if that is denied, we will appeal the conviction and we have every confidence that ultimately Mr Libby will be vindicated. We believe... that he is totally innocent, totally innocent and that he did not do anything wrong."
Known as "Vice President Dick Cheney's Dick Cheney," Libby was a quiet force in building the Bush administration's case for the Iraq invasion.
Libby also served in the administration of President Bush's father as deputy under secretary of defense and was at the State Department during the Reagan administration. He was educated at Yale University, Mr Bush's alma mater, and Columbia University law school.