US Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald played portions of White House briefing room videos Thursday as the trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby continued. Fitzgerald said the tapes show Libby's eagerness to publicly conceal conversations he had with reporters about CIA official Valerie Plame. US District Judge Reggie B. Walton allowed Fitzgerald to play portions of the videos that show former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan publicly clearing Libby's name and announcing that individuals responsible for the leak would be fired. Judge Walton did not allow Fitzgerald to show a heated question and answer session between McClellan and reporters.

Libby is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation into the leak of former CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. Libby's defense team has indicated that they plan to call Libby's former boss, Vice President Dick Cheney, to testify and that Libby also plans to take the witness stand himself. Walton has denied a request from several news organizations seeking the daily release of audio recordings of arguments and testimony.

Former Enron prosecutor Kathy Ruemmler has joined the law firm of Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C.

Ruemmler was one of three Assistant U.S. Attorneys who took leading roles in the 2004 Enron Nigerian barge case and the criminal trial of former Enron executives Jeff Skilling and Ken Lay last year.

Prior to joining the Department of Justice in 2001, Ruemmler was Associate Counsel to President Bill Clinton. She also handled white collar criminal defense cases and civil litigation at both Latham and Zuckerman Spaeder in Washington.

She joins former Enron Task Force chief Sean Berkowitz, who joined Latham in November.

If Miller is called to answer the questions and refuses, she could face charges of perjury, as she did in July of 2005 when she was jailed after refusing to reveal sources in conjunction with the federal criminal investigation into the leak of Plame's identity. Miller resigned her post at the Times after her release from the 85-day jail term.

Libby is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with the CIA leak investigation.

The HTP Unit will work to enhance the Department’s investigation and prosecution of significant human trafficking and slavery cases, such as multi-jurisdictional cases and those involving financial crimes. The Unit will also engage in training, technical assistance and outreach initiatives to federal, state and local law enforcement and NGOs.

The HTP Unit will be headed by noted anti-trafficking prosecutors who have prosecuted traffickers and freed hundreds of foreign and domestic victims from sex trafficking in brothels and forced labor in fields, homes and factories. Robert Moossy will head up the Unit, and is joined by Chief Counsel Lou de Baca and Special Litigation Counsels Hilary Axam and Andrew Kline, who bring significant anti-slavery experience to this effort and have been leaders in developing the modern victim-centered approach to human trafficking investigations and prosecutions. They will be joined in the coming months by additional federal prosecutors, a victim/witness specialist, and support staff. Attorney General Gonzales has made combating human trafficking a top priority of the Justice Department. In the last six fiscal years, the Civil Rights Division, in conjunction with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, has increased by six-fold the number of human trafficking cases filed, quadrupled the number of defendants charged, and tripled the number of defendants convicted. In FY 2006, the Department initiated 168 investigations, charged 111 defendants in 32 cases, and obtained a record number of convictions totaling 98.

The financing closed for the construction of BP Plc's 301-megawatt Cedar Creek wind farm in Weld County, Colorado, the law firm representing the lenders said.

International law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP said in a release that Cedar Creek entered into a long-term supply agreement with Xcel Energy Inc.'s Public Service Co of Colorado for the sale of electricity from the project.

The law firm represented the lenders, Mizuho Financial Group Inc.'s (8411.T: Quote, NEWS , Research) Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd., Bayerische Landesbank [BAYLB.UL] and HSH Nordbank AG [HSH.UL]. It did not reveal the amount of financing the lenders provided.

Cedar Creek is a venture between BP's BP Alternative Energy North America Inc. subsidiary and Australian investment firm Babcock & Brown's (BNB.AX: Quote, Profile , Research) Babcock & Brown Operating Partners LP.

BP said in a release earlier this month it expected part of the project would to start operating in the second half of 2007.

Once completed, the Cedar Creek project, which is under construction, will have 274 turbines and generate about 301 MW of power - enough to power 120,000 homes.

Separately, Milbank said the financing for the construction of Spanish wind energy company Gamesa's (GAM.MC: Quote, Profile , Research) 80 MW Allegheny Ridge wind farm in Pennsylvania.

Milbank said it represented the lenders Mizuho and HSH Nordbank AG on the Allegheny project.

Gamesa entered into several long-term supply agreements with FirstEnergy Corp.'s (FE.N: Quote, Profile , Research) FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. subsidiary for the sale of electricity from the project.

The Allegheny Ridge project, expected to enter service in early 2007, will have 40 turbines rated at two megawatts each.

The Boston Passante law firm reached a temporary agreement in court today on its dissolution.

The agreement will allow the firm to pay debts and provide income to its partners for the next two months as both sides try to find a permanent solution.

Russell Boston, his wife, Wendy S. Boston, and other partners Lauren L. Benedict and David M. Cusson petitioned Bibb County Superior Court in December to dissolve the firm, and they cited problems with managing partner Brian Passante's completion of his duties.

Passante filed a countersuit earlier this week denying the allegations and blaming Russell Boston for the problems in the firm.