Conyers Subpoenas Rove, Siegelman Responds

Karl Rove has been subpoenaed again by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), who hopes to question the former Bush Administration official about his role in the firing of U.S. Attorneys, among other issues.

Conyers asks Rove to appear February 23rd.

The letter from Conyers to Rove attorney Bob Luskin, provided to the Huffington Post, is the second attempt to pull testimony out of Rove, who cited a scheduling conflict the last time he was subpoenaed, said a Conyers aide.

Rove has sought to limit his testimony to his involvement in the imprisonment of Democratic Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Conyers, in his letter, rejects that circumscription.

Rove, in a recent paid speech in California, said that he was immune from the subpoena, according to a report in the Pasadena Weekly. "I will not comply with the subpoena," he said. "I want to be clear. I have no personal ability, no personal right that I'm exerting here. I'm not saying I have any privilege whatsoever, but the president of the United States has privilege with regard to compelled testimony from members of his immediate staff. Five times, now a sixth time, we have told the Congress we would be happy to provide them the information that they want, as long as it's done in a way that protects the form of the president's privilege, and six times they've refused to take us up on our offer of providing info to them on these questions."

UPDATE: Gov. Siegelman weighs in:

We all need to thank Chairman Conyers for his determination to get at the truth as to Karl Rove's use of the Department of Justice for political purposes.

However, Karl Rove can never afford to testify under oath about his role in my prosecution without lying or taking the 5th. If your readers can take a few minutes to review CBS' 60 Minutes story you can clearly see why Rove will never answer truthfully...because it's crystal clear that he is guilty of an abuse of power in using the Department of Justice as a political weapon to win elections!

So Chairman Conyers is on the right course. Hold Rove's feet to the fire and when he again defies the lawful subpoena AGAIN, a Congressional Contempt Citation should follow.

That will mean we will be one step closer to the truth and one step away from holding someone (and likely many more) accountable.

Our American Democracy has been threatened by these rouges, our constitutional rights abused and our system of Justice subverted. It is now up to us to repair the damage done to the foundations of our democracy. That starts with digging until we get the truth as Chairman John Conyers has been doing and holding accountable those who have abused their power.
--
Don Siegelman
Governor of Alabama 1999-2003
www.donsiegelman.org

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."

[SOLERSO68]

Let him decide whether or not he will testify from a jail cell. there is no bail given for contempt.

[garymc8]

JAIL HIM OR NO ONE IN THIS COUNTRY IS BOUND BY ANY OF THE COUNTRIES LAWS.

[NoSandwiches]

just arrest him already. Let him stew in jail.

[JakeMontero]

John Conyers should be more worried about is his wife 's pending jail time. Instead, let someone else take up the charge so Republicans cant focus on Ms Conyers troubles.

[totaldisbelief]

It would be a whole lot easier just to put a hit out on Rove.

[spartanmom]

yeah, that is a great way to get answers

[lunchlady]

I don't want that. I want him to divulge every illegal thing he's been involved in for the last 30 years.

[garymc8]

HE WOULD LAST 8OZ. ON THE WATERBOARD BEFORE HE SQUEALED LIKE AN 11 YEAR OLD GIRL.

[postman606]

If he got hit it would be by his own teams hands.

[EuroRant1]

This has all become one bad silly joke.

All this fruitless tip-toeing around these thugs and handling them with kid-gloves means nothing to them. NOTHING. So until you realize that ... as far as they are concerned sc rew your Subpoenas, your Independent Commissions, the new Justice Department, and any other future independent investigation into their alledged past "wrong-doings".

The time has long past for all this silly empty "blah-blah" ... get serious ... get a couple of US Marshalls take some handcuffs and invite the press along.

Otherwise, please stop with all this chest-beating and horn-blowing. This has all become a big waste of time and you are all beginning to smell really bad.

“The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer.” - Edward R Murrow

[cbates]

A second subpeona has been issued and disobeyed or discarded by Rove. Why does it take so long and what is the issue inbringing this man to court or wherever to extract information. Get on with it. At the pace it is going Conyers and others may expire before any information is generated from Rove. I believe this is why you would not ever try to impeach anyone in that it takes forever.

[1ChanceOnly]

We can't let these idiots get away!

[jimrs6]

You notice that Obama, Axelrod, and Rahmbo are staying a thousand miles away from this. It's a precedent they do not want to live with.

[DMHendrix]

nice try.

[spartanmom]

wrong on the facts

[oakley9]

Conyers is too easy on everybody. We need somebody who is not going to allow them to get away with this.

[spartanmom]

This is all just a procedural waltz. The current WH Counsel is reviewing the previous one's opinions on this and Conyers needs to give them a bit of time. There is plenty of stuff happening that we don't see

[sector1463]

II am sure this has been said before but I think it need to be said over and over again to Mr. Rove ... The Supreme Court has said over and over again that there is no constitutionally protected Presidential Priviledge. They said it to Nixon. They said it to Reagan (North had to testify). They said it to Clinton. Why would they say that all of a sudden Bush had this priviledge.

If a sitting president can be compelled to testify in a civil action (Jones vs Clinton) how can a person in a position that Rove held claim he cannot be compelled to testify.

Dems quit letting this man run the show. If he doesn't appear when supeonaed, arrest him.

[LeeCalif]

Conyers = Whitewash.

Screw Conyers. We need a special prosecutor.

[Plus15]

Rove is still calling the GOP's tactical moves, opposition to the Stimulus Bill etc. He's counting on the GOP legislators to keep protecting him. He is an enemy of the state.

[RACVC]

The 60 Minutes story was extremely disturbing to me. Thank you for covering this story Ryan. Since the Congress and Justice Department can't seem to get to the bottom of what the hell happened in this case what can We The People do? I'm ready to sign up. If this can happen to him, it can and will happen to all of us. Can't Rove be brought in and forced to address the Congress?