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The Crypt: Rove refuses to appear before House Judiciary panel

by kferaday | July 4, 2008 at 11:04 am

175 views | 10 Recommendations | 2 comments

I can guess that right about now Rove is at home singing, "Rove fought the law and Rove won". It must be could to be a courtier to Emporer Bush.

Karl Rove, former White House deputy chief of staff and President Bush's top political adviser, is refusing to appear before the House Judiciary Committee to testify on "politicization" within the Justice Dept. Rove had been scheduled to appear next Thursday, July 10.

Rove's refusal to respond to a Judiciary Committee subpoena drew a stern response from Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Commercial and Administrative Law subcommittee.

"We want to make clear that the subcommittee will convene as scheduled and expects Mr. Rove to appear, and that a refusal to appear in violation of the subpoena could subject Mr. Rove to contempt proceedings, including statutory contempt under federal law and proceedings under the inherent contempt authority of the House of Representatives," Conyers and Sanchez wrote in a letter to Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin.

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politisite

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 14:05 on July 4th, 2008

kferaday, I like this story. It's good stuff. Just as in any legal situation, a subpoena will be required. Rove does not have to appear to an invite. There will also be an argument, even if a subpoena was provided, of Executive Privilege which provides that the communications between a president and his advisers are protected under the Separation of Powers provisions.

kferaday

at 16:01 on July 4th, 2008

Doesn't the civil suit against the Bush administration (and mentioned here) dispute the claim of immunity? And does the immunity extend to after you've left the White House?