Last September, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) opened an investigation “into whether partisan politics were a factor in the Justice Department’s prosecution of former Democratic Alabama governor Don Siegelman on corruption charges in 2006.” But a memo written last January by OSC career investigators has revealed that OSC chief Scott Bloch — whose office and home were recently raided by the FBI — ordered the Siegelman case closed, “saying that he had not authorized it.” According to the memo, Bloch also diverted focus and attention from other high profile cases, including the political activities of former White House aide Karl Rove and DoJ’s hiring practices:

Among various concerns, the staffers said the office’s probe of the political briefings was overly broad. [...] They recommend narrowing the focus and completing key interviews before proceeding with the related probe into Rove’s activities. [...]

The career investigators also wrote of their long-standing desire to open a probe into allegations that certain Justice Department officials considered political affiliation in their hiring and promotion decisions. Bloch told them not to open one last August, then approved a limited investigation in November. In their memo, the staffers pushed for more.

Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee threatened to subpoena former White House adviser Karl Rove, unless he agrees by May 12 to testify about his role in the allegedly political prosecution of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman.

Yesterday, MSNBC’s Dan Abrams reported that Rove will now only “talk about it with the committee, and only if no transcript is made, and if it’s not done under oath.” Furthermore, according to Abrams, Rove’s attorney Robert Luskin is “blaming us” for the subpoena threat because of an incriminating e-mail exchange that was taken “out of context.” As Luskin wrote to the Committee on April 29:

Your invitation is premised on reports that I had expressed Mr. Rove’s “willingness to testify before the committee.” The report in question was based on an e-mail exchange with a producer for a cable news network and was taken grossly out of context.

Watch Abrams’s segment:

But Luskin’s statements to MSNBC were not “grossly taken out of context.” Yesterday, Abrams provided the exact e-mail exchange with Luskin. Luskin clearly said, “sure” to Rove testifying if subpoenaed:

From: Verdict with Dan Abrams
To: Robert Luskin
Sent: April 07, 2008 4:59 PM

Sorry. Let me be more clear. Will Karl Rove agree to testify if Congress issues a subpoena to him as part of an investigation into the Siegelman case?

From: Robert Luskin
To: Verdict with Dan Abrams
Sent: April 07, 2008 6:59 PM

Sure. Although it seems to me that the question is somewhat offensive. It assume he has: something to hide, even though — gov siegelman’s uncorroborated assertions aside — there’s literally no credible evidence whatsoever to substantiate his charges. I would hope that you’d get around to mentioning that fact.

Rove and Luskin have regularly assaulted MSNBC for its reporting on the story. In a 2,100-word letter containing 58 questions, written on April 13, Rove blasted Abrams personally. Luskin criticized Abrams in an Roll Call interview earlier this month, hinting that Rove would hide behind executive privilege to avoid testifying.

Today, the House Judiciary Committee threatened to subpoena former White House adviser Karl Rove, unless he agrees by May 12 to testify about former Alabama governor Don Siegelman’s corruption case. In a letter to Rove’s attorney, the committee wrote, “We can see no justification for his refusal to speak on the record to the committee. We urge you and your client to reconsider…or we will have no choice but to consider the use of compulsory process.”

Last night on 60 Minutes, former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman said the congressional Judiciary committees should call on Karl Rove to testify about his case. Tonight, Rove’s attorney Robert Luskin said Rove will testify if subpoenaed by Congress. MSNBC’s Dan Abrams reported:

ABRAMS: We asked this question to his attorney: Will Karl Rove agree to testify if Congress issues a subpoena to him as part of an investigation into the Siegelman case? The answer we got — “Sure.”

Watch it:

Abrams noted Karl Rove refused to testify when subpoenaed by Congress in the U.S. Attorney scandal, but appears willing to do so in this case. Siegelman responded, “Well, then let’s don’t waste any time. I think the House and Senate Judiciary Committees should subpoena Karl Rove.” Asked if he was surprised by Rove’s pledge, Siegelman said, “I’ll be surprised if he does” testify.

Digg It!

Last night, CBS’s 60 Minutes followed-up on the case of Don Siegelman, who was released from prison recently after an appeals court said his conviction “raised substantial questions of law or fact.” The former Alabama governor said that Karl Rove had “accomplished his goal” of ending his political career. “What we need is Karl Rove to get himself over to the Judiciary Committee and put his hand on the Bible and take an oath and give testimony,” Siegelman said Sunday. “And he can either tell the truth or take the Fifth, either one will satisfy me.” Watch it:

In response to Siegelman, Rove told 60 Minutes, “I never talked to the Department of Justice about Siegelman. I never talked to anyone in the White House about Siegelman.”

Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman (D) was released from prison today so he can testify to the House Judiciary Committee about the controversial prosecution that led to his incarceration. In an interview shortly after his release, Siegelman singled out former White House aide Karl Rove’s involvement in his case:

In a telephone interview shortly after he walked out of a federal prison in Oakdale, La., Mr. Siegelman said there had been “abuse of power” in his case, and repeatedly cited the influence of Karl Rove, the former White House political director.

“His fingerprints are smeared all over the case,” Mr. Siegelman said, a day after a federal appeals court ordered him released on bond and said there were legitimate questions about his case.

(HT: TPMMuckraker)

Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D), who went to jail in June 2007 on federal corruption charges, “will be released from prison, after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals granted him an appeal bond.” Yesterday, TPMmuckraker reported that the House Judiciary Committee is seeking to hold a hearing where Siegelman will testify about the controversial prosecution that led to his incarceration.