Congress subpoenas two former Bush aides in justice probe

US News

Jun 13, 2007, 16:19 GMT

Washington - US lawmakers Wednesday ordered two former top aides to President George W Bush to testify in an inquiry into the firings of eight federal prosecutors, which majority Democrats allege were politically motivated. The subpoenas against Bush's former chief legal adviser Harriet Miers and former White House director of political affairs Sara Taylor step up a confrontation between Congress and Bush over the administration's running of the Justice Department. Democrats, who won control of Congress in November elections, charge that Republican operatives at the White House, including Bush's top political strategist Karl Rove, were involved in the process of forcing out the eight US attorneys last year. Bush has offered to let top White House aides answer lawmakers' questions behind closed doors, but Democrats have pressed for public hearings in Congress. A subpoena orders a witness to testify or face legal penalties. The Senate Judiciary Committee, which is seeking Taylor's testimony, also demanded additional documents from the White House on the prosecutor firings. Miers was subpoenaed by the House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee. 'Some at the White House may hope to thwart our constitutional oversight efforts by locking the doors and closing the curtains, but we will keep asking until we get to the truth,' the Senate panel's chairman, Patrick Leahy, said in a prepared statement. US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has faced blistering criticism for his handling of the affair, including evasive testimony to Congress that helped provoke calls by several Republican senators for his resignation. Bush has steadfastly backed Gonzales, an ally from Bush's days as Texas governor before he became president in 2000. A non-binding vote of no confidence in Gonzales failed last week in the Senate when Democrats failed to rally enough Republicans behind the measure. There are more than 90 US federal prosecutors, heading regional offices that conduct criminal investigations. But they have traditionally been replaced at the start of a president's term, not in the middle. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Talkback

Add your comment (no registration required)

page: 1

Jack SmackJun 13th, 2007 - 17:02:12

'Accountability' it is about time. Reign in all these republican crooks (if you find some spare democrats put them in the mix), charge them, tri them and then impeach the ones who are left. After the amount of time the republicans has with no oversight, there is a lots of snakes to put in the bag!

Report this comment

lanceJun 13th, 2007 - 18:53:29

Unfortunately, while one party holds the other party accountable, both parties are making deals behind closed doors and neither are accountable except when the other party decides that by holding the other accountable they can deflect accountability from themselves and their back room deals. In Washington, no one wants to be accountable so they turn accountability into a Paris Hilton extravaganza.

Report this comment

Yea they doJun 13th, 2007 - 19:44:15

with hats and party horns-lol

Report this comment

RcSJun 13th, 2007 - 20:01:43

What is it with this issue for so many people? The constitution directs authority to the President to hire and fire Federal Attorneys. It is by nature a political act because as a President is elected by the people to do the things he campaigned on and for which they elected him, he appoints and keeps in office people he believes will carry out his policy. He can fire them at any time for practically any reason. Of course people in the White House are involved. Why wouldn't they be? All presidents have done this but now some find it unacceptable at least until their person is in the White House. That is hypocritical. There are bigger issues for Congress to address than this nonsense.

Report this comment

Dylan KennedyJun 13th, 2007 - 22:22:44

Oh good grief you guys! Is everything a republican does a conspiracy to you? These people were fired for good reasons, and so to IMPROVE things. I'm sure you're all sitting around on your computers at work being all non-productive, needing to get fired yourself - and when you deservingly do, then I'm sure you'll just blame it on some people around the office poli-ticking against you

Report this comment

NoharnessJun 14th, 2007 - 03:23:24

More stupidity. More political grandstanding and more wasted time.

Report this comment

page: 1

Add your comment (no registration required)

US

Congress subpoenas two former Bush aides in justice probe

US News

Talkback

Similar articles

Latest Headlines in US

Latest Articles on The Tech Herald

In Monsters and Critics

Corporate

The Fine Print