Rove, Bolten Found in Contempt of Congress

Paul Kane on the Washington Post reports:

A Senate panel found former presidential adviser Karl Rove and current White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten in contempt of Congress yesterday for refusing to testify and to turn over documents in the investigation of the firings of nine U.S. attorneys last year....

..."White House stonewalling is unilateralism at its worst, and it thwarts accountability. Executive privilege should not be invoked to prevent investigations into wrongdoing," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.).

Two senior Republicans, Sens. Arlen Specter (Pa.) and Charles E. Grassley (Iowa), supported the contempt charges.

The White House yesterday repeated its offer to allow Rove and other current and former senior aides to testify about the firings behind closed doors, not under oath and with no transcript....

...Despite the likely need for 60 votes to cut off a GOP filibuster in the Senate, Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) said he would "look very favorably" on forcing a roll call vote on the issue. "We'll take a look at that when we come back in January," Reid said.

Leahy rejects executive privilege in attorney firings

Laurie Kellman, from the Associated Press, on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports:

"Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy directed Bolten, Rove, former White House political director Sara Taylor and her deputy, J. Scott Jennings, to comply 'immediately' with their subpoenas for documents and information about the White House's role in the firings of U.S. attorneys, including John McKay of Seattle.

..."'The president's lack of involvement in these firings -- by his own account and that of many others -- calls into question any claim of executive privilege,' Leahy wrote.

...It was not clear, however, that Leahy's ruling Thursday would amount to more than a threat before Congress adjourns next month for the holidays."