Bush Can't Protect Rove, Senator Says

AG rejects House request, saying no crime was committed

(NEWSER) - A showdown over executive privilege got more likely yesterday when Attorney General Michael Mukasey said he wouldn't pursue contempt charges against two Bush aides, Reuters reports. Mukasey rejected the request from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to refer the case to a grand jury, arguing that they had committed no crime by refusing to testify to Congress about the controversial firing of 9 US prosecutors. More»

Rove snubs Judiciary Committee; 29-year-old staffer pleads for sympathy

(NEWSER) - Karl Rove didn't show up, but the White House sent a 29-year-old aide to field Senate Judiciary Committee questions about the US attorney firings today. Scott Jennings, the first administration figure to testify while still in office, followed the path laid out by ex-boss Sara Taylor in refusing to answer substantive questions, reports the AP. More»

(NEWSER) - Karl Rove and Harriet Miers have agreed to testify before Congress about the controversial firing of US attorneys, CBS reports. The former Bush aides' testimony will not be public, though that could happen in the future, notes the Public Record. Congress is investigating whether the Bush administration fired the attorneys for political reasons, and Rove and Miers have cited executive privilege to avoid testifying. More»

Conn. official Dannehy could force likes of Rove to testify

(NEWSER) - Michael Mukasey appointed a special prosecutor today to look into the attorney firing scandal today, Reuters reports, after an internal investigation came up empty-handed. Many top witnesses, such as Karl Rove, didn’t cooperate, but could now be subpoenaed by Connecticut prosecutor Nora Dannehy. More»

Dems accuse Mukasey, underlings of stalling on requests

(NEWSER) - Congress is redoubling its efforts to get info from the Justice Department, the Washington Post reports. Requests for classified documents have languished for as long as 3 years, and the contretemps between Congress and Alberto Gonzales over their disclosure has improved little under the new AG, Michael Mukasey. "We agree that there is always room for improvement in our effort to be responsive to Congress," said a DoJ spokesman. More»