WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday subpoenaed President Bush’s former chief political adviser, Karl Rove, to testify about whether the White House improperly meddled with the Justice Department.
Accusations of politics influencing decisions at the department led to the resignation last year of Bush’s attorney general, Alberto Gonzales.
It’s unclear whether Rove will ever be forced to testify. The White House refuses to let him or other top aides testify about private conversations with Bush, citing executive privilege to block Congress’ demands.
The subpoena orders Rove to appear before the House panel on July 10. Lawmakers want to ask him about the White House’s role in firing nine U.S. attorneys in 2006 and the prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman of Alabama, a Democrat.
House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers had negotiated with Rove’s attorneys for more than a year over whether he would testify voluntarily.
“It is unfortunate that Mr. Rove has failed to cooperate with our requests,” Conyers, D-Mich., said in a statement. “Although he does not seem the least bit hesitant to discuss these very issues weekly on cable television and in the print news media, Mr. Rove and his attorney have apparently concluded that a public hearing room would not be appropriate.”
Conyers added: “Unfortunately, I have no choice today but to compel his testimony on these very important matters.”
Both Rove and his attorney, Robert Luskin, declined to comment.
The Senate Judiciary Committee also authorized subpoenaing Rove, who did not show up to testify.
Senate Democratic leaders, not eager to pick a difficult political fight in an election year, didn’t plan to seek a vote on whether to hold Rove in contempt of Congress, which is a criminal offense.
In a May 21 letter to the House panel, Luskin called the then-threatened subpoena a “gratuitous confrontation.”
He said Rove was willing to talk to congressional investigators, but only behind closed doors and without a transcript being made of the session.
