Bush Lawyer Fred Fielding Told Rove: Ignore Subpoena

Just four days before he left office, President Bush instructed former White House aide Karl Rove to refuse to cooperate with future congressional inquiries into alleged misconduct during his administration.

On Jan. 16, 2009, then White House Counsel Fred Fielding sent a letter (.pdf) to Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin. The message: should his client receive any future subpoenas, Rove "should not appear before Congress" or turn over any documents relating to his time in the White House. The letter told Rove that President Bush was continuing to assert executive privilege over any testimony by Rove--even after he leaves office.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[CaptainHowdy]

Excerpt from a recent Raw Story article...

O b a m a, not B u s h, now seeking delay of R o v e deposition

In a court brief quietly filed Monday, Michael Hertz, O b a m a ' s acting assistant attorney general, said it was necessary to delay an effort to force R o v e to be deposed in a congressional investigation into the firing of nine US Attorneys and the alleged political prosecution of a former Alabama governor.

Hertz said an effort was underway to find a "compromise" for R o v e, and requested two weeks to broker a deal before proceeding in court.

[snip]

"The president is very sympathetic to those who want to find out what happened," Craig told The Washington Post. "But he is also mindful as president of the United States not to do anything that would undermine or weaken the institution of the presidency. So, for that reason, he is urging both sides of this to settle."

[wordvarc]

Issue the subpeana then throw rove and mears in jail for contempt when they refuse.

Are there still cells in the Capital building?

[micifus]

Well, at least we tried to punish Bill Clinton for his crime.

[Frenbar]

There is simply no reason for Rove or other Bush cronies to answer these subpoenas as long as its clear that Democrats are all talk and no action.

Since day one when these subpoenas were issued, it was within the Democrats' power to send out the Sergeant of Arms to bring Rove to testify in shackles, and imprison him under the House if he refused.

It's no surprise most people are disgusted with Democrats when all they do is whine and capitulate.

[jimrs6]

Save your elation over any possible action against Rove. Axelrod is instructing Obama not to do anything that would possibly expose his White House in the future.

[CaptainHowdy]

Yep, which isn't being reported here BTW.

[tbone99]

from the blog on Huffpo "Bush punked us again"

" Four days before he left office, Mr. Bush authorized his lawyer to write letters to Harriet Miers and Karl Rove giving them "absolute immunity" from Congressional inquiry and prosecution. Preemptively. In perpetuity. Absolute and irrevocable.

The letters set the stage for what is likely to be a highly contentious legal and political battle over an unresolved issue: whether a former president can assert "executive privilege" -- even after his term has expired.
These letters were delivered before Congress or any prosecutor had initiated action. Only when John Conyers subpoenaed Mr. Rove did the letters come to light. Waving his letter in the air, Karl Rove refused to appear before the committee."

Wonder how many other letters are out there?

[bigironal25]

As far as Rove is concerned I'll believe it when I see him in hand cuffs, but from what I've seen in the last week, Mr Obama won't do the right thing, just like he won't do the right thing about investigating the issue of torture which is A LAW, not an opinion!I really think(I hope I'm wrong)Karl Rove will be right where he is now,this time next year and that is shooting his mouth off and thumbing his nose at the Obama administration!

[Agent420]

Nice smile Rove, to bad Congress is going to wipe it off your face.

[nofltwlt]

It is likely that Rove will be required to testify; put Rove in jail until everything is sorted out.

[Jaxy]

Typical above the law behavior. Hey, Karl, your lackies are out of power! All your butt are belong to us!

[JimLarkin]

so, essentially bush is interfering with a congressional investigation no matter how his revisionists wanna air brush it.. covering up a crime is as bad as the original sin, ask the roasting ghost of r. nixon.
this could lead to revelations of a lot more perfidy. so much for your legacy bush. enjoy the ignominity.. it will last you a lifetime

[Phxflyer]

Bush and his lawyer have zero authority. Fat Karl is going to jail.

[Acharn]

I could (reluctantly) accept the Democrats choosing not to use contempt of Congress during the last two years of the Bush administration. They had such a small majority, and so many Blue Dogs, that they might very well not have been able to muster a majority. But that doesn't apply any more. Even with the Blue Dogs defecting the Dems now have a large enough majority to get a motion for contempt of Congress through. They don't have any excuse for not doing it now, except, of course, that the entire Democratic leadership who were in office over the last eight years are complicit in the many crimes of the Bush administration. They don't dare allow any kind of non-partisan investigation which might lead to prosecution for crimes, because they are implicated. That's why you see the entire corporatist media screaming that we must not investigate or prosecute.

Nation of laws? What a laugh. Both Rove and Meiers should be in the cells in the basement of the Capitol until they have purged themselves of contempt and testified fully and under oath. The laws of the land have to be applied to the political elite as well as us ordinary suckers.

[dilligentobserver]

http://www.pubrecord.org/politics/653-congress-quietly-subpoenaed-harriet-miers-but-she-refused-to-comply.html

Congress Quietly Subpoenaed Harriet Miers, But She Refused to Comply

The House Judiciary Committee quietly subpoenaed former White House Counsel Harriet Miers three weeks ago demanding that she provide testimony about her role in the firings of nine U.S. Attorneys in 2006.

According to a letter sent to Elliot Mincberg, chief counsel of oversight and investigations for the Judiciary Committee, by Miers' attorney the Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Miers on Jan. 9. She was asked to provide a deposition to the panel on Jan. 16. She did not comply with the subpoena and Conyers' committee did not state publicly that he sought her testimony earlier this month.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

Rove no longer can claim executive privledge and ignore anything. He's fair game and if he refuses, its called contemt of court and grounds for a jail sentence. They can then call him as a hostile witness, in which he must respond honestly to any and all questions, failing that, its a longer jail sentence. Bush can be cited for instigating his refusal. Its time the gloves come off and all go to federal prison with thier funds frozen. period.