Email Fingers Rove in Attorney Scandal

He knew about the firings in 2005
By Heather McPherson,  Newser User
Posted Mar 16, 2007 12:09 PM CDT
Email Fingers Rove in Attorney Scandal
President Bush Discusses Midterm Election Results    (Getty Images)

An email released Thursday implicates Karl Rove in the U.S. attorney firings scandal, suggesting he knew of the plotted purges much earlier than previously acknowledged. In a message dated January 6, 2005, a White House lawyer reported that Rove had asked to discuss the firings with D. Kyle Sampon, the attorney general's then-chief of staff.

The White House maintains that the idea to replace the attorneys originated with former legal counsel Harriet Miers in early 2005, and that Rove thought it was "not a good idea."  The Senate Judiciary Committee is issuing subpoenas to senior Justice Department staff, but Republicans blocked the effort to subpoena Rove and Miers. (More US attorney stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X