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Brutus · #1 July 11th, 2008, 08:38 AM

July 10 (Bloomberg) -- Former White House political director Karl Rove, defying a subpoena, failed to appear before a U.S. House panel investigating whether the Justice Department prosecuted people for political reasons.
Rove's action today prompted the House Judiciary subcommittee to rule that his reasons for skipping the appearance weren't legally valid, a first step toward a possible contempt of Congress vote.
``I'm extremely disappointed and extremely concerned that Mr. Rove has decided to forgo this opportunity,'' said Representative Linda Sanchez, a California Democrat who heads the commercial and administrative law subcommittee.
Her finding that Rove's executive privilege claims weren't proper was approved by a party-line 7-1 vote with all Democrats agreeing. A contempt motion would go first to the Judiciary Committee and then the full House of Representatives.

The panel is trying to determine whether Rove influenced the Justice Department's decision to bring a corruption case against former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, a Democrat. Rove has rejected the claim and said he would speak with the committee only in private, not under oath and without a transcript. He also proposed answering questions in writing.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...RvY&refer=home

zengrifter · #2 July 11th, 2008, 11:19 AM

See - Did Ex-Alabama Governor Get A Raw Deal?

aslan · #3 July 12th, 2008, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zengrifter

See - Did Ex-Alabama Governor Get A Raw Deal?

I would trust a court before I would trust any deliberation of the Congress. But I guess that goes without saying. Lol

PS--I'm not referring to the court that convicted the governor.

zengrifter · #4 August 1st, 2008, 07:08 PM

Federal judge rules Bush's aides can be subpoenaed

By MATT APUZZO – 1 day ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush's top advisers are not immune from congressional subpoenas, a federal judge ruled Thursday in a long-running dispute between the two political branches.

Congressional Democrats called the ruling a ringing endorsement of the principle that nobody is above the law. They swiftly announced that the Bush officials who have defied their subpoenas, including Bush's former top adviser Karl Rove, must appear as part of a probe of whether the White House directed the firings of nine federal prosecutors. Democrats announced plans to open hearings at the height of election season.

The Bush administration was expected to appeal.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge John Bates said there's no legal basis for Bush's argument and that his former legal counsel, Harriet Miers, must appear before Congress. If she wants to refuse to testify, he said, she must do so in person. The committee also has sought to force testimony from White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten.

MORE- http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h...WS4kgD9291NR80