Judiciary Committee Sends Contempt Charges Against Miers, Bolton to Full House (Ayes Have It) [View All]

Source: Raw Story

Judiciary Committee sends contempt charges against Miers, Bolton to full House
Nick Juliano
Published: Wednesday July 25, 2007

The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday formally recommended criminal contempt charges against former White House counsel Harriet Miers and chief of staff Joshua Bolten for their failure to comply with an investigation into the firing of eight US Attorneys.

The charges were presented in a resolution that, if passed by the House as a whole, would initiate criminal proceedings in US District Court for the District of Columbia, although the justice department has said it will not purse the charges because the White House has invoked executive privilege.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 22-17 along party lines to send the Democratic measure to the full House.

Speaking at a committee meeting, Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., said the contempt charges were being sought "only as a last resort. What I am not open to is accepting a take-it-or leave it offer, which would not allow us access to the information we need ... this is the only proposal we have received from White House counsel," Conyers said.

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