Why Karl Rove Should Go To Jail
Again last week, we saw the arrogance of former White House advisor Karl Rove when an empty chair sat for him in front of the House Judiciary subcommittee where he was required by subpoena to testify. Not only did he refuse to appear before the committee -- let alone testify -- but he defiantly left the country thereby blatantly ignoring his obligations under the congressional subpoena served on him. When he did return to the country, Rove found the time to gab with TV reporters on a summer press tour in Beverly Hills, but failed to stop by the Judiciary Committee in Washington.
After my ruling that Mr. Rove's claims of immunity are not legally valid, Congressman Conyers and I gave him one last chance to comply with the law. He ignored us. As he let yet another deadline slip by this week, Mr. Rove's disregard for Congress has become intolerable. Mr. Rove needs to understand that he is not above the law and should obey a subpoena just like any other American is required to do.
Mr. Rove should not be able to hide behind the president to avoid the American public. Americans are fed up with this administration flouting the law. They expect Congress to hold people accountable and that is exactly what we intend to do. Letting Mr. Rove get away with this would set a dangerous precedent. I have recommended that we hold Mr. Rove in contempt of Congress. If we need to revive the inherent contempt procedure which gives Congress the authority to arrest those who defy Congressional subpoenas, then so be it.
The courts have made clear that no one, not even the president, is immune from compulsory process. Any person who scoffs at the law and who has committed an offense that is punishable by jail time should be put in jail. This includes Karl Rove.
Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez is the Chairwoman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law. She represents the 39th Congressional District of California.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
So when are your going to PUT him in jail? I keep hearing everyone in congress talk about the complete failure of this administration as well as the corruption, period. Nothing every follows this statement with any action.
Don't hold you breath for that.
Unless Congress decides to exercise their legal authority to execute the law and balance the scale of power, Karl Rove will continue to call their bluff and set a precedent that will later impact the intent of the Constitution that implemented the perimeters that is designed to maintain power at an equal level one not above or beneath but constant in motion. This is a very unbalanced administration under the Bush regime and I have seen the seeds of dictatorship that has been planted that will sprout generations later unless uprooted at the stems. This is suppose to be a country of law. A beacon of light for the whole world to emulate. Instead, we have watched the erosion in the integrity and dignity of this nation under this administration that should arose every citizen of conscience to repudiate and denounced in protest of what our grandchildren will suffer under unless we nip it in the bud by demanding that Congress exercise its duty and that is to hold those that are in violation accountable to the dictates of our rule of law and where there is an abuse of power--it needs to be stripped to the point of rendering it impotent and without effect.
I don't know. If Obama is elected, the Republicans, not owning up to Bush's abuse of power, will be crying out that he is exercising too much power. Just as they complained that Clinton was abusing his presdidential power. Never underestimate the extent to which Repubs are capable of denying their own abuses, arrogance and corruption and projecting them onto Democrats.
A Republican with a smoking gun standing over a corpse will deny that any shots had been fired and defy you to to refuse to accept as his lies as truth.
Rove won't show up because he knows democrats just want to put on a dog and pony show. Its just politics.
You mean like Bill Clinton's impeachment?
The Democrats do not have the spine to do anything to Rove and he knows it!
Stop barking and ... BITE!!!!!
SO GO AHEAD AND PUT HIM IN JAIL, ALREADY!!!! I am tired of hearing what this Congress SAYS it ought to do. This is at least the second post that whines about Karl Rove and his disregard for the rule of law. If you want to really do your job of oversight, ACT on what you think should be done! Hold Rove in contempt and put him in jail until he testifies!!!
I think his involvement in the Gov Siegelman case and in the politicization of the Justice Department should bring him down. Good luck Rep Sanchez.
Rep. Sanchez, somebody has to puncture the bubble of this amoral cult of incestuous Republicans. I don't know where they came from, but I do know that their sociopathy has been sanctioned for 20 some years by media apologists for right-wing agenda. We have learned that this crowd of Republicans will not take responsibility for anything, even as their political plaform rests on personal responsibility.
What I would do is this: I would allow Rove to testify, in the open, but not under oath. Then, I would ask him one question after another having to do with personal responsibility and complying with the law. For example, Would you agree that a major tenet of the Republican Party is that people should take responsibility for themselves? Do you believe that an ordinary citizen should be apprehended if she fails to appear in court? Do you believe people in the government should comply with Congressional subpoenas? Do you believe you are above the law? Have you talke with George Bush about being pardoned if you are found guilty>
Would you like to hear what the people of the United States think about this? Just ask us! We want him in prison for a long, long time!
To Do List:
1. Issue arrest warrant.
2. Give the Sargeant at Arms a car and send him to get Karl Rove.
3. Arrest Karl Rove.
4. Bring him to the Chamber.
How hard is that?
I couldn't agree with you more, apduncan1.
Seemingly quite simple,... if one has the will to do it.
Rep. Sanchez. I whole heartledly agree with everything you say. But I have to ask, why would Rove act any differently than he is, when the precedent, set by NP and your party about not holding the President accountable, proves to him that the Democratic party seems to have no backbone.
Then there is also the fact that you are trying to hold a government employee responsible for government crimes while at the same time government employers, ie. GWB and DC et al, a pass on their crimes. That sounds a little like your current immigration policy.
Like I said, I totally agree with what you say but why does your party set double standards with regards to this kind of law breaking. Karl Rove is guilty of something equivalent to a misdemeanor compared to GW's war crimes but you are trying to enforce the least serious crime.
I find that kind of like your war on drugs where you punish the victim(addicted users) and do little to stop the traffickers(dealing pushers).
How does Karl Rove and the other White House Republicans get away with this?
LIHOP, from the Democratic leadership.
Please stop with the kvetching already and act!
"If we need to revive the inherent contempt procedure which gives Congress the authority to arrest those who defy Congressional subpoenas, then so be it."
This kinda sums up the whole problem. If first you must "revive" what should not need reviving (is this procedure you mention genuinely shelved somehow, requiring explicit action to bring it into play?), and that procedure only gives Congress the "authority" to arrest people that give them the long finger (meaning Congress will wrangle about it forever, before doing anything), and how you sum it up with a "so be it," as if this was some last resort, is appalling!
If Joe Heartland didn't show up at court, would the authorities say, well if we need to dust off the book, so we can throw it at him, "then so be it." Horse-hooey. JH would be in jail before he could blink.
The very tone above communicates that nothing will happen, and that the powerful are treated differently. Why do we pretend otherwise? If Congress gives this any attention, at all, I venture to say we will hear motions to "condemn this behavior in the strongest language" or some such drivel -- and this too will likely not be approved. And the matter will end there. Rove knows this.
With all respect, and whereas you individually may make your stand, it will at best be quixotic. As a body, you all won't do anything. You know it won't happen.
Brilliantly put.
Who knew laws went into hibernation like bears in the winter.
And to be honest, as reprehensible as I find Karl Rove to be, I'm less interested in punishment than I am in answers. So there must be a line drawn, a real line, to force the issue of exactly what executive privilege protects. Especially since it seems that, particularly for this Congress, there is no such thing as an impeachable offense.
Because if the president can't (or won't) be impeached, and his advisors answer to no one but him, then the president and his advisors REALLY ARE above the law.
"...the president and his advisors REALLY ARE above the law."
What first tipped you off??? (Kidding, but not laughing.)
I don't think inherent contempt actually went into hibernation -- there simply hasn't been any need to use it. There has always been some way to broker a compromise. Unfortunately, Rove's idea of compromise in this instance is to agree to talk but NOT take an oath to tell the truth, NOT answer questions he hasn't approved, NOT testify in public and NOT allow a record to be made of his... uh... prepared remarks.
If Congress acts now, the President will merely pardon him. Better to lie like low for a while, and come after Rove and the rest when the new administration comes to power. Otherwise, all you're going to snare is a few low level functionaries who did what they were told, in order to keep their jobs. The real criminals will get away - as did Cap Weinberger and Ollie North.
Not being a Constitutional law expert or anything, but in order to receive a presidential pardon, wouldn't one have to have been convicted of a crime in a judicial court? I believe that Congressional "inherent contempt" is exempt from executive interference in the form of pardon or commutation.
Just sayin'.
Richard Nixon received a presidential pardon (from *President Ford) before he was even charged with anything.
Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.
*First of two appointed Presidents; Dubua in 2000 was appointed by the Supreme Court
People are confusing two things:
1) There's criminal contempt, where a person is prosecuted for contempt. Bush could pardon Rove or anyone else regardless of whether they were charged, let alone convicted.
2) Inherent or Civil Contempt, where a judge or Congress has the power to compel someone to appear to either testify or serve on a jury. It also covers measures deemed necessary to have a trial or hearing.
Rove's decision to duck a lawful subpoena could be prosecuted under criminal law, but obviously Dubya would stop that cold. However, just as a judge has the right to send the sheriff out to bring a witness or juror to trial (arresting them and dragging them to court in irons), Congress is well within its rights to send the Sergeant-at-Arms to drag Rove's sorry ass to Capitol Hill to testify, and to throw him in jail if he refuses.
Put it this way: You are summoned for jury duty, but don't want to do it. In spite of your objections, the court says your excuses for not wanting to show up aren't good enough and you must attend. You tell the judge to piss off, and go on a trip. Guess what the judge can (and in many cases, WILL) do to you?
The same applies for Congress, only they lack the spine 95% of local judges have.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
