Well before the effort to secure Mr. Rich's pardon began, Ms. Rich was a major contributor to Democratic causes and candidates.
But it is now evident that the campaign to obtain a pardon began earlier than initially reported, and relied more heavily than first disclosed on the efforts of Denise Rich and Beth Dozoretz, two of the most generous benefactors of the library and the party.
The story of this pardon begins and ends with money and the access afforded by money.
There's been a change of prime minister in Ethiopia and he has accelerated the pardoning begun by his predecessor.
Gov. Jerry Brown's order, citing Brooke Linman's bravery and heroism, was one of 127 grants of clemency that followed a tradition of Christmas Eve pardons he began in 2011.
But the formal pardoning program began with the first President Bush in 1989.
The Office of the Pardon Attorney began acting as though it were acceptable to notify a grantee by phone and to follow up weeks later with a letter.
Mr. Libby said he actively represented Mr. Rich for years but ended his advocacy in the spring of 2000, before the pardon effort began.
The lawyers in the Justice Department's pardon office began loading up on cases to review, ready for some staggering months of work.
