Ethics Newsline®

“The executive’s current claim of absolute immunity from compelled Congressional process for senior presidential aides is without any support in the case law.”

– U.S. District Court judge John Bates, rejecting White House claims that President Bush’s top advisers can ignore congressional subpoenas seeking testimony in formal investigations. Bates, appointed by President Bush in 2001, ruled last week that both former White House counsel Harriet Miers and former White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten must cooperate with House investigators looking into the perhaps politically motivated firing of nine federal prosecutors in 2006. Miers, Bolten, and Bush’s former chief political adviser, Karl Rove, have each spurned attempts by Congress to gather information, claiming executive privilege — a stance Judge Bates ruled last week was illegal.

Sources: Washington Post, Aug. 1 — New York Times, Aug. 1.

For more information, see: Related Newsline story, Mar. 26, 2007 — Related Newsline Commentary, Mar. 26, 2007 — Related Newsline story, Mar. 19, 2007 — Related Newsline story, Mar. 12, 2007 — Related Newsline story, Mar. 5, 2007.