ETHICS -- REPORT OUTLINES SPECIFIC WAYS ADMINISTRATION MAY HAVE BROKEN LAW IN U.S. ATTORNEY SCANDAL:
In preparation for a vote today on contempt of Congress citations for White House chief of staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) has prepared a 52-page memo "that for the first time alleges specific ways that several administration officials may have broken the law during the multiple firings of U.S. attorneys." "The report says that Congress's seven-month investigation into the firings raises serious concerns' that senior White House and Justice Department aides involved in the removal of nine U.S. attorneys last year may have obstructed justice and violated federal statutes." It also lays out Congress's case for overriding "an effort by the White House to shield officials and documents from the congressional inquiry through a claim of executive privilege." Last week, the White House cited a
1984 legal opinion written by former administration solicitor general Ted Olson, claiming "the Justice Department will never be allowed to pursue contempt charges initiated by Congress against White House officials once the president has invoked executive privilege." The report contends that the opinion "does not apply here" because President Bush "has not furnished a signed statement or 'privilege logs' specifying the documents being withheld. In addition, the memo says, 'there is not the slightest indication' the 1984 opinion would apply to a former executive branch official, such as Miers."
From Progress Report 7/25/2007
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