House Judiciary committee: Rove is not immune from testifying.
House Judiciary committee: Rove is not immune from testifying.
Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee received a letter from Karl Rove’s attorney Robert Luskin, stating that his client refuses to testify before a House subcommittee, despite a congressional subpoena. He reiterated his offer to have Rove appear for an off-the-record interview, not under oath, about the prosecution of formerly Alabama governor Don Siegelman only. In a response to Luskin, Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and Linda Sanchez (D-CA) reject the offer:
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.
Your letter states that Mr. Rove will not attend the hearing because he is “obligated” to disregard the subpoena as a result of the White House’s claim of immunity for former advisors. In fact, precisely the opposite is true. As a private party, Mr. Rove is “obligated” to comply with the subpoena issued to him and, at the very least, appear at the July 10 hearing.
In addition to the Siegelman matter, the committee has also asked Rove to testify on the politicization of the Justice Department, including the U.S. attorney scandal.
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Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!
Excuse me for being a cynic - but I’ll believe it when I see it.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:39 pmincluding statutory contempt under federal law and proceedings under the inherent contempt authority of the House of Representatives.
JUST FU CKING DO IT!!!!!!!!!!
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:40 pmFrogmarch the prick right into the federal JAIL!
“inherent contempt”, arrest him and drag him in.
What’s the matter spamer, can’t even spell your name right?
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:40 pma refusal to appear in violation of the subpoena could subject Mr. Rove to contempt proceedings
How about let’s tweak that a little bit: try a refusal to appear in violation of the subpoena WILL subject Mr. Rove to contempt proceedings.
Isn’t that clearer?
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:41 pmmaybe if they don’t make him take an oath..
and they conduct the hearing onset during a FOX broadcast…
and give him a new hover-car
and name a baseball stadium after him..
maybe..
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:41 pm…a refusal to appear in violation of the subpoena could subject Mr. Rove to contempt proceedings,
The operable word here is could. When they change that to will, then I’ll take notice.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:42 pmThis has become nauseating.
Memo to House Committee: Frog march Tubby with inherit contempt to the pokey. I’m tired to hear how McTreason Rove wants things his way when he is breaking the law!
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:44 pmJust. Farking. Do it. Just one time. That’s all it would take.
Have a U.S. Marchall haul Rove into the chamber in manacles and leg-irons. That would totally make my day. Then all the others currently in contempt of subpoenas would trample each other to death to be the first to rat each other out.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:48 pmSo a private citizen can be subpoenad ? bushie will be private next January as well as cheney. Hmmmmmm
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:50 pmIt’s interesting to hear them talk the talk. I’ll jump for joy if the ever walk the walk. If only Congress could remember that one of their Obligations is Oversight and that they’re supposed to be a Co-Equal Branch of the Government of the United States (Not to mention Impeachment, but..)
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:50 pmImpeach Pelosi, Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!
oooooh, i’m askeeeered.
how many sternly worded letters has john conyers now delivered…
please. enough. conyers and pals have been revealed for the cowardly, incoherent, incompetent losers they are.
what a disappointment his chairmanship has been. along with nancy’s majority leadership; and harry’s whatever harry’s been doing.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:51 pmWell asking our representatives to do anything is like asking doctors to testify against one of their own. Ain’t gonna happen. Everybody has dirty laundry.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:55 pmGood. Conyers and Sanchez are at least acknowledging that inherent contempt is one of the tools in their toolbox.
Now, if they only have the guts to actually USE it…
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:04 pmIt is sad that we even need to define who is immune to subpoenas. You would think even a 3 year old would understand that NO ONE is above the law.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:04 pmAt first I thought I’d logged into an old page of TP’s, from months ago. It sure looks familiar.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 pmHe’s required to come in and *then* refuse to testify, if that’s his choice. The coming in part is not open to discussion, as I understand things.
So haul him in wearing chains and one of Sheriff Joe Arpio’s pink jumpsuits.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:09 pm…including statutory contempt under federal law and proceedings under the inherent contempt authority of the House of Representatives.
Dare we hope that this Congress is going to find their spine and actually hold Rove in Inherent Contempt. That would be so sweet!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:13 pmYou’d think Congress would get tired of getting the middle finger salute from Bush’s minions. I know I sure as hell have.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:15 pmWhat is with the “could subject” wording. WILL subject Rove to contempt of Congress is applicable, reasonable and appropriate. Then do it.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:15 pmUnfortunately Rover is sitting there laughing his ass off going “Yeah right, they are going to hold me accountable like they have held all the other Bush sycophants accountable.”
The 110th Congress will go down in history as the worst Congress ever. Look at all the worsts we will have after this year:
George Bush Worst President
Dick Cheney Worst VP
Nancy Pelosi Worst Speaker of the House
Harry Reid Worst Senate Majority Leader
Right there, it’s a tie between the Democrats and the Republicans.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:16 pmIsn’t it pretty obvious at this point that these people hold inherent contempt for Congress?
Yes, even a 3 year old could understand that no one is above the law, but repubilcans apparently aren’t that advanced.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:17 pm“Your letter states that Mr. Rove will not attend the hearing because he is ‘obligated’ to disregard the subpoena as a result of the White House’s claim of immunity for former advisors.”
_________________________________
Uh…”claim of immunity”??? Isn’t immunity the sort of thing that’s given to criminals?
Oh wait…
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:18 pmHaven’t the Dems run out of those letter yet?
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:23 pmImmunity for former advisers? The former advisers must really feel they’re above the law. If he doesn’t answer the subpoena, hold in contempt and lock him away.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:24 pmI am disappointed in this Congress, however, it was a republican that held up the Bill helping those going into foreclosure. A fact bushie conveniently forgot when placing blame for not helping the 50,000 going into foreclosures this week. A fact conveniently omitted by the media.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:27 pmEveryone remember if subpoenaed, Offer to speak off the record and not under oath. And Rove’s attorney thought the subcomittee would buy that ?
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:30 pmThis is something I have never understood. If you have done no wrong, why not just testify? If I was called before a local court and charged with murder, I would want to testify, just so that my name could be cleared and everyone could just move on. If you have done no wrong, just go ahead, testify and get it over with. Anything else makes it look like you are hiding something.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:31 pm6 months 20 days 16 hours 27 minutes 51 seconds
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:33 pmChris - your last sentence said it all. Rover knows he is guilty as sin and doesn’t have enough words to parse his sentences to get out of it. So, stall, stall, stall, but whats the worry bushie would pardon him if need be.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:36 pmAnd don’t get your hopes up about Congress all of the sudden getting a spine. That was removed and put on the table by Pelosi. The Republicans mock this Congress. Democrats are too worried about what the press may say. I just want someone to do something for freakin’ America, instead of this party first mentality.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:38 pmThe only upside of waiting and not having him testify until after Bush leaves is that he won’t be saved by a Bush pardon. See the countdown clock at 28. When that strikes zero, let the subpeonas fly and then lock ‘em up.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:39 pmWhatever…
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:52 pmYea, let the sternly worded letters begin!!!!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:53 pmJUST DO IT.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:53 pmWell if he tells the truth he is dead if he lies he is in contempt and perjures himself. Hell I’d blamed all on bush.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:55 pmIt has gotten to the point where the rule of law no longer governs in the United States. It is time to consider other options. What would happen if some night a number of those who have illegally ignored such subpoenas simply disappeared only to surface later with ropes around their necks and some what less alive. Get with it people. This is every bit as much a war as the American Revolution. It is time for these bastards to meet the rule of the people and a new government to be formed.
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:18 pmThat’s what I’m thinking. If he was smart he’d have done it awhile ago instead of all these stall tactics. That way he could always fall back on a pardon from Bush if need be. The longer he waits the less chance he has of getting said pardon.
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:23 pmLooks like Rove/Reich’s prognostication is about to be fulfilled which was “I expect to be in jail before the end of the year”. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving traitor to this country!
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:38 pmIn Bushitco’s own mantra of “whatever it takes” - let’s go Conyers and bring this man to the justice he is asking for and so deserves.
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:39 pmThe good news is that Bush is outta here in 200 days and 6 hours. How will Rove respond when Obama instructs him to appear before congress to provide sworn testimony on everything and anything they want him to testify about?
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:11 pmWhen he doesn’t attend the hearing, have him arrested and jailed. Schedule the next hearing in 2020.
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:26 pmSWBob Says:
——————————————————————————–
Haven’t the Dems run out of those letter yet?
No, they are form letters. They just fill in the name in the blank space.
July 3rd, 2008 at 7:05 pmJohn Conyers Lite
Has anyone noticed that since Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House, how, John Conyers has become a whipped pup?
When Conyers was in the minority of The House he held hearings for the impeachment of George W.
He actually released a book, “What Went Wrong In Ohio”.
Now that Pelosi is Speaker, she took the option of impeachment off the table.
Conyers replys with many summomns for Judicial officials to appear before his committee.
Not once does he hold these Judicial people in contempt of congress.
No contempt. No arrest.
Pelosi and Conyers has sold out!
The only good thing coming of this situation is all representatives in the house of representatives are up for re-election this year.
Vote Pelosi and Conyers out!
Troubled Texan
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:40 pmI wonder if he is immune from waterboarding?
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:48 pmArrest him, and then summarily hang him as we should do with all Enemy combatants. Right Mr. boooosh?
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:10 pmat the very least, rove should stand trial for the siegelman political incarceration. dan abrahams and others, worked very hard to have don released for his appeal, and has the evidence that would lead to his freedom. rove is not above the law. he appears to even have a real evil side, that should be defined as such! why should someone else be subject to his corrupt ways?
obama ‘08
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:44 pmGood luck with that.
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:19 pmI’ll believe it when I see it.
[Luskin] reiterated his offer to have Rove appear for an off-the-record interview, not under oath…
It wouldn’t be fair to Rove to put him under oath. Required to tell nothing but the truth, he’d be like a fish out of water.
It’s really kind of strange, given Rove’s record, that the audiences of his talks, TV appearances, etc., still show signs of believing some of what he says — and that he actually gets paid for saying it.
July 4th, 2008 at 12:54 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
Uh…”claim of immunity”??? Isn’t immunity the sort of thing that’s given to criminals?
Sort of like a pre-emptive pardon :)~
July 4th, 2008 at 1:05 amBuckarooBanzai (28 above) and osage (40), please recheck your Bush countdown clocks.
H-Hour is noon (EST) on January 20th, 2009. BuckarooBanzai seems to be counting toward 9 AM EDT (equivalent to 8 AM EST), osage toward midnight EDT (equivalent to 11 PM EST).
It’s only your clocks I’m complaining about, mind you. Your hearts are in the right place. Carry on.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:08 am.
There is this could-da…
America hopes for the would-da…
Thinking Conyers, should-da!
.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:49 amConyers has proven himself ineffective in holding the Bush Administration accountable. Rove will not appear and Conyers will not hold him in contempt. Conyers has been rendered irrelevant despite all the grandstanding and preening for the press. The most that will come out of Rove’s failure to appear is another toothless “strongly worded letter.”
July 4th, 2008 at 7:28 amDems are too busy beating each other up to focus on the Republicans…I wish that Deb wasserman-Shultz from Florida was as tough on Rove as she was on Obama…thats why Dems always loose at everything..we are turning into a joke
July 4th, 2008 at 7:42 am“and at very best show up”.
July 4th, 2008 at 9:06 amNow that’s a demand with real teeth.
Where is Judge Judy? She would put some spark into these demands.
Brave as hell behind the screen of executive authority, quaking jiggling coward when asked to stand and answer for his actions. Nothing new here…
July 4th, 2008 at 3:48 pm