Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who faces an imminent prison term in the CIA leak case, asked a federal appeals court Tuesday to step in and delay the sentence.
The former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, Libby was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for lying and obstructing an investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's identity.
A federal judge has denied a request to stay the sentence while Libby appeals his conviction.
In a motion to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Libby argued that that ruling was inappropriate.
He said he has a good chance of having his conviction overturned on appeal and should not have to serve jail time while the court challenge plays out.
"The Bureau of Prisons will shortly designate a prison facility and direct Libby to report within a period of two to three weeks after designation," his attorneys wrote. "Accordingly, we respectfully ask that the court expedite action on this application."
The request will be considered by a three-judge panel of the court. By policy, the court does not disclose which judges are on the panel until a decision is made.