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Conyers to file contempt report;
says White House has one last chance
Jason Rhyne
The
Raw Story
Monday November 5, 2007
House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) will file a report
today holding that two White House officials are in contempt of
Congress for their continued refusal to honor subpoenas in connection
with the controversial firing of US attorneys last year -- but
he's offering one last chance to make a deal.
In a Monday letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding, Conyers
wrote that he would be officially filing submitting the contempt
report, a move which would allow the full House to later vote
on the measure, but would stop the contempt process there if the
White House would agree to a final compromise offer.
“I have written to you on eight previous occasions attempting
to reach agreement on this matter,” Conyers says in the
letter. “As we submit the Committee’s contempt report
to the full House, I am writing one more time to seek to resolve
this issue on a cooperative basis.”
(Article continues below)
In July, Conyers had written Fielding to inform him that White
House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former White House Counsel
Harriet Miers could be held in contempt for refusing to comply
with subpoenas seeking documents and testimony as part of a House
Judiciary probe into the firing of nine US attorneys. President
Bush had earlier blocked those requests, citing executive privilege.
In order to prevent further action on the contempt measure, Conyers
is requesting that the White House provide communications documents
pertaining to the firings, including internal White House materials,
and asking that White House staffers be allowed to conduct private
interviews -- albeit not under oath -- with the House Judiciary
Committee.
“I hope you will consider this offer in earnest and based
upon the good faith with which it is delivered,” Conyers
writes, going on to give Fielding a Nov. 9 deadline.
Republicans in the House have already sprung into action, according
to Politico's John Bresnahan.
"GOP leaders have begun to prepare their own counter-attack
if a criminal contempt resolution vote takes place on the floor,
and they plan to target conservative and moderate Democrats,"
he writes. "Republicans see several moves that signal a vote
is likely to happen soon, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
has not made a final decision one way or the other at this time."
According to the Washington Post, Democrats have been working
to secure the votes necessary to make sure that a contempt vote,
if brought to the House floor, would be successful. "House
Democratic leaders have spent the past 10 days trying round up
enough votes to secure a majority on the House floor for a contempt
citation, aware that some Democrats from moderate to conservative
districts may be wary of such a high-profile vote against President
Bush," says the paper.
If Fielding rejects Conyers' offer, reports the Post, a contempt
vote could come as early as next week.
Developing...
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