President Donald Trump pardoned Lewis “Scooter” Libby on Friday.

Libby was chief of staff to former Vice President Dick Cheney and was convicted in 2007 of lying under oath and obstruction of justice during the investigation into the leaking of the identity of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame, whose husband , an ambassador, challenged the Bush-Cheney narrative for invading Iraq. Bush later commuted Libby’s sentence.

“Perjury before a grand jury is a pardonable offense. Hint hint …. Mueller investigation witnesses now hear that message loud and clear.”
Click Here: gws giants guernsey 2019—ethics expert Richard PainterOf note is that that investigation was led by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, who was appointed by then-Deputy Attorney General James Comey. As such, journalist Matthew Cooper argued on Twitter, a pardon for Libby “is a slap at Comey.”

However, the bigger picture, according to observers, may be the message Trump is sending to those who have, or might be tempted, to obstruct justice on his benefit.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said on Twitter that it “seems like [Trump’s] sending a message to current WH staff worried about investigation of Trump obstruction: ‘Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.'”

That assessment was echoed by former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter, who tweeted: “Perjury before a grand jury is a pardonable offense. Hint hint …. Mueller investigation witnesses now hear that message loud and clear.”