Lewis Libby

The daughter of Scooter Libby's lawyer is going to work for John Edwards. Teresa Wells will leave her job as traveling press secretary to Governor Jon Corzine to become deputy press secretary of Edwards' bid for the 2008 presidential nomination. The highly-regarded 28-year-old worked on Corzine's campaign in 2005, and on the '04 Kerry/Edwards race.

Her father is Theodore Wells, a prominent white collar criminal defense attorney, is currently representing Libby. His former clients include Senator Robert Torricelli, Secretary of Labor Raymond Donovan, and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy. He was Treasurer of Bill Bradley's 2000 presidential campaign, and is the General Counsel to the New Jersey Democratic Party.

Her mother, Nina Mitchell Wells, is the New Jersey Secretary of State.

Three New Jerseyans are serving on the Lewis "Scooter" Libby Legal Defense Trust Advisory Committee: Lawrence Bathgate, Lewis Eisenberg and Steve Forbes. Libby, the former Chief of Staff to Vice President Richard Cheney, was indicted last year on perjury and obstruction of justice charges; his trial is set to begin in January 2007. The defense fund will help may at least one New Jerseyan, Ted Wells, a Democrat whose wife was named Secretary of State by Governor Jon Corzine.

Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ) Statement on the Indictment of I. Lewis Libby

Menendez Statement on Indictment of Senior White House Official

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, issued the following statement today on the indictment of White House official I. Lewis “Scooter� Libby:

“It is a sad day for America when one of the senior most officials in the White House is indicted on felony charges. I. Lewis Libby is one of the top advisors to the president, one of the chief architects of his foreign policy, and one of the masterminds behind the way the administration sold to the public the war in Iraq.

“Of all the things we have learned over the course of this investigation, two facts stand out: President Bush stood before Congress and spoke of attempts by Saddam Hussein to acquire uranium from Africa, a charge that the administration knew was not true. And Valerie Plame’s name was released to the public because Joseph Wilson dared to point out that the claim was not true.

“As the investigation into this leak has unfolded, we have also learned that the White House engaged in a coordinated campaign of unprecedented intensity to discredit its critics. In the course of that campaign, they blew the cover of one CIA operative and thereby jeopardized the lives of other CIA agents.

“Last year, the president said he would fire anyone found leaking information in this case, and we now know the official who was indicted today was not the only one who leaked information. If the president hopes to undo the damage he has done to this country and restore what is left of his credibility, he needs to follow through on his pledge. He cannot hide behind legalistic denials, or pretend that the resignation of one official removes the stain that has been left on his White House.

“Today’s indictments came because this administration misled the country over the most important issue any president faces, the decision on whether to take the country to war, and then tried to cover up that fact by silencing its critics and, it appears in at least one case, lying to a grand jury.

“The president now has a rare chance to come clean. I hope he takes it.�

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