CONYERS THREATENS CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST RNC-CHAIR DUNCAN & MIERS & BOLTEN [View All]

Conyers Threatens Contempt Proceedings against RNC Chair
By Paul Kiel - July 17, 2007, 6:41 PM
Now on to the third development of this afternoon in the U.S. attorney firings subpoena battle.

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The deadline to comply with the subpoena was this afternoon. And today, in a letter to the RNC, the White House said it needed more time, saying that attorneys had not yet had enough time to review all of the documents to establish whether to assert executive privilege. Emmet Flood, the special counsel to the President, wrote that the review should be done by July 31st. You can see the letter from the RNC's counsel to the committee and the White House's letter here.

Conyers accordingly agreed to postpone the subpoena deadline, but warned the RNC in a letter http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003711.php#more that "it would be improper for the RNC to refuse to produce subpoenaed documents in its possession based on an assertion of privilege by a third party" (i.e. the White House). It's not for the RNC to decide whether to hand the documents over, Conyers wrote -- if the White House wants to stop them, then the White House should do that in court.

But if the RNC still decides not to produce the documents, Conyers says that the committee may conduct contempt proceedings against RNC Chairman Robert Duncan.

If you're keeping track at home, that means the committee is now contemplating citing three separate figures with contempt: Harriet Miers, White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, and RNC Chairman Robert Duncan. And that's not counting the Senate Judiciary Committee's possible citation of Karl Rove's former aide, Sara Taylor. Phew.

letter and more at:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003711.php#more