LAWFUEL – The Law Newswire – Two congressional committees subpoenaed President George W. Bush’s former White House counsel, Harriet Miers, and his ex-political director, Sara Taylor, to testify about their roles in the firings of U.S. attorneys, Bloombergs report.
The House and Senate Judiciary Committees also demanded the White House turn over documents that may shed light on whether as many as nine prosecutors were dismissed last year for improper political motivations, such as to spur investigations of Democrats or stall those of Republicans.
The subpoenas set up a constitutional confrontation between the Democratic-controlled Congress and Bush, who has spurned requests for internal White House documents or testimony by his aides about the firings. He offered to let Congress question his aides privately without a transcript.
“This subpoena is not a request, it is a demand on behalf of the American people for the White House to make available the documents and individuals we are requesting to help us answer the questions that remain,” House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers of Michigan said in a joint statement with the Senate panel.
The subpoenas were issued two days after Senate Democrats failed to pass a resolution expressing “no confidence” in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. It was blocked by Republicans on a procedural vote.
