Rove Deposed In U.S. Attorney Probe

WASHINGTON — Former Bush White House official Karl Rove was questioned by House Judiciary Committee lawyers Tuesday on any role he may have played in politically motivated firings of U.S. attorneys.

Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., confirmed Rove's closed-door appearance through a committee spokesman who was not authorized to be quoted by name.

The committee has been seeking answers on who created the list of federal prosecutors who would lose their jobs. Conyers has suspected the trail led to the White House but couldn't prove it. Former President George W. Bush asserted executive privilege for Rove and former White House lawyer Harriet Miers and refused to let them testify.

An agreement was struck in March between Rove's lawyer and the committee for Rove, who was Bush's top political adviser, to testify on the prosecutors' firings, as well as the prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman of Alabama. Siegelman, a Democrat, has alleged that his prosecution was pushed by Republicans, including Rove.

The agreement called for Rove to testify "under the penalty for perjury," Conyers has said. The committee could release the transcripts afterward, but the agreement also allowed for public testimony.

Nine U.S. attorneys were fired. An internal Bush Justice Department investigation concluded that political considerations played a part in at least four of the dismissals.

Rove's appearance before the Judiciary Committee was first reported Tuesday night by the Web site Politico.

Comments

[MadHeart]

We know one thing for certain: There will be a lot of "I don't remembers.­.."

[rabiddog6708]

Or he will simply plead the Fifth.

[sassafra]

pleading the fifth is fine by me, it just means they'll dig elsewhere and deeper.

[Soulsurfer]

Or just lie. Putting KR under oath is a futile exercise.

[lornejl]

The Bush years...

" Data* indicate that the offices of the U.S. Attorneys across the nation investigate seven (7) times as many Democratic officials as they investigate Republican officials, a number that exceeds even the racial profiling of African Americans in traffic stops. "

[TaxDayMan]

Two questions 1: What "Data*"? and 2: When it comes to money Dems are takeing way more bribes then Republicans, so does this suprise us?

[lornejl]

You are true blue bushie.

[lornejl]

http://www.epluribusmedia.org/columns/2007/20070212_political_profiling.html

[SKonnery]

Why do repub licans take pride in being ignorant?

[jwredd]

You just asked somebody to back up their "data" and then you make a blanket assertion with no data or fact backing it up.

[larkster]

Dear TaxDayMan,

You should spend less time online and more time learning how to spell and formulate an argument properly.

[ddDinah]

There is NO accountability anywhere within our Government NONE...the­y protect each other, all the while pretending they have our back. The only people who are accountable is the American tax payer, who, in the short and long term will pay.

[ebanks84]

I tend to agree with your analysis. Obama is proving it in essence the way he is allowing Bush and Cheney to go untouched. There must be some sort of secret code between presidents that allows them to protect each other.

[BeachBubbaTex]

I think it is built into the system. There isn't a check or balance designed against the three branches other than elections, which aren't good at looking back and rarely unseat incumbents. The "failure" is in the electorate. That said, what is needed are strong third parties.

I voted for Obama and I'm glad he's focused on his agenda, not correcting abuses that were the responsibilities of the people in power at the time.

[sueno]

This country needs justice-
Rove needs to be arrested and charged.

[reader110]

Along with the majority of the rest of the Bush administration.

[TaxDayMan]

For the "crime" of winning two presidential elections! Libs, LoL!

[1088]

Nothing ever happen to the Republicants! Nothing!!

[Paisano]

the liberal media must have missed this one... Nothing will happen anyway! Patrick Fitzgerald is a sell out!

[nellpost]

Whatever happened to the Rod B case? Strange.

[peterbeagle]

that trial is still to come.

[gpeach36]

What ever happened to Tom Delay going to jail? He was indited wasn't he? That was long before Rod B.

[TaxDayMan]

How much media coverage of this:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gAhJ_ijKsVNeqkiH39KhnCUNj-fQD999OKUO0

None: What if this had been a Republican, Lots of media coverage! Libs,LoL!

[AtheistMaximus]

Oh my god a politician accepting bribes. No!!!!! when did this start happening?
You're new to this whole politics thing aren't you.

[wgsalter]

Was that your view of the Jack Abramov scandal? "Oh well, this sort of thing happens"?

[furey]

Conyers is compromised. He refused to impeach when he had a duty to do so. This will amount to nothing.

But when THESE people depose Rove, they will mean business:

http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/make-it-happen/

[TaxDayMan]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gAhJ_ijKsVNeqkiH39KhnCUNj-fQD999OKUO0

Example of "Good crimes" by "Good" Dems; "Bad crimes" are committed by Republicans even if they don't do it! LIbs, LoL

[FightTheLies]

Problem is you guys have never admitted to a crime. Once you admit to one, then you can talk to us about a Dems crime.

[TaxDayMan]

DEMs do it for the money and Republicans do it for what? What does Rove get for the political firing of political appiontees? What does Obama and company get for the clearly illegal firing of IGs?

[sandals]

Yes we do have one party it is the Corporatist Party, if you look at the things that are being done they are
being done for the Corporations, you know Corporate Welfare.

I believe all of these people that were at the top of the Bush Administration should be charged with war crimes but it won't happen I Congress is a bunch of cowards, not like when Nixon was in office he was
called out on his crimes and proceedings for Impeachment were set in motion, what has happened is that these people in our Congress our only our for themselves and getting re elected.

[vippy]

With all that is going on, not going after the real criminals for war crimes, etc. I believe we have to realize that we have but one party. One hand washes the other. Just look which direction our country is going. The last sham of a credit card revision told us that neither house is on the people's side.
We need a viable 3rd party, one that represents the masses. We also should vote all incumbents out of office. But that won't happen, since you believe the DEMS are lightyears better than the GOP LOL.
Sad that is. Just look in the mirror and take inventory why we have the government we have?

[ChristianEcon.com]

Well said.

[Billpoch]

I thought that Karl and his buddies were above the law? It sure seems a shame , having them abide by the same laws the rest of us has to. Karl I hope that you have to invest in Soap on the Rope.

[obamanomics]

The firing of these attorneys was not illegal. The investigations are due to Dems claiming it was done for political reasons. When the fact of the matter is every president fires these attorneys for purely political reasons. Now what Obama did to the IG was illegal. Let's see how long it takes dems to investigate that one.

[TaxDayMan]

After all they are POLITICAL APPOINTEES! So true on the IGs!

[RodgerLodger]

Can t wait until they show Conyers knew about his wife's crimes.

[obamanomics]

Now when will Obama be deposed for firing the IG for political reasons.

[chriss0114]

the board recomended it which is comprised of Repubs too who ALSO asked he be fired

it was not an O decision alone

check the facts and if that is not enough, get your head checked

[nellpost]

I think that gentleman was the old man type you usually make fun of. So, now, you're an advocate of "old" folks? I don't think so.

[gurukalehuru]

I will not be satisfied unless and until I see all of them -Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove, Wolfowitz, Perle, Feith, Rice, Powell (yes, even Powell) and Gonzales- in jail where they belong.

[Macready]

I second that gurukalehuru . . . they should be behind bars now if our Congress had had any backbone

[DubyaGump]

I agree, the democratic party need to collectively grow a pair