President Bush's top advisers are not immune from congressional subpoenas, a federal judge ruled Thursday in an unprecedented dispute between the two political branches.
The House Judiciary Committee wants to question the president's chief of staff, Josh Bolten, and former legal counsel Harriet Miers, about the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. But President Bush says they are immune from such subpoenas. They say Congress can't force them to testify or turn over documents.
U.S. District Judge John Bates disagreed. He said there's no legal basis for that argument. He said that Miers must appear before Congress and, if she wants to refuse to testify, she must do so in person.
"Harriet Miers is not immune from compelled congressional process; she is legally required to testify pursuant to a duly issued congressional subpoena," Bates wrote.
He said that both Bolten and Miers must give Congress all non-privileged documents related to the firings.
The Bush administration can appeal the ruling. The Justice Department did not immediately respond for a request for comment.
I have mentioned numerous times that one of the things that I want more then anything is to see this criminal administration brought to Justice. And I know i am not alone in that desire.
I know that the Bush administration will fight this thing tooth and nail but they can only hold out so long. If the justice system keeps the heat on long enough they will get access to the records and testimony they need to convict many of the most highly placed members of this gang of thugs.
The day I see Karl Rove, George W. Bush, and Dick Cheney standing before a judge and being sentenced to prison will be just about the happiest day of my life.
(Don't bother leaving a comment about how unlikely the above scenario is of ever taking place, because I don't want to hear it.)
I want to see them at the Hague standing trial for war crimes....
ReplyDeleteyeah, I know.