We’re going to court:
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in response to a letter she received late this afternoon from U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey stating that the Administration is refusing to enforce contempt of Congress citations against former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten:
“By ordering the U.S. Attorney to take no action in response to congressional subpoenas, the Bush Administration is continuing to politicize law enforcement, which undermines public confidence in our criminal justice system.
“Anticipating this response from the Administration, the House has already provided authority for the Judiciary Committee to file a civil enforcement action in federal district court and the House shall do so promptly. The American people demand that we uphold the law. As public officials, we take an oath to uphold the Constitution and protect our system of checks and balances and our civil lawsuit seeks to do just that.”
Here’s John Conyers:
From the Judiciary Committee on the DOJ decision:
Conyers Outraged at Justice Department Contempt Decision Vows to Enforce Subpoenas
(Washington, DC)- Today, the House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) reacted to the Justice Department’s decision not to present contempt citations against former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten to a grand jury, despite a statutory obligation to do so:
“Our investigation into the firing of United States Attorneys revealed an Administration and a Justice Department that seemed to put politics first, and today’s decision to shelve the contempt process, in violation of a federal statute, shows that the White House will go to any lengths to keep its role in the US Attorney firings hidden. In the face of such extraordinary actions, we have no choice but to proceed with a lawsuit to enforce the Committee’s subpoenas.”
I wonder if this could go all the way to Inherent Contempt proceedings or whether the clock will just run out.
How stupid are the Democrats, really? Because they have got to know full well by now that this shall amount to nothing, that the Bush-stacked courts will simply uphold the shrub’s ability to thumb his nose at the law. Pelosi is just using this lawsuit as the latest excuse to avoid having Conyers bring forth articles of impeachment.
Is there a way to set these subpoenas such that
the culprits and their defenders will be fully
prosecuted when we obtain an honest attorney
general (hopefully in January), and their present defiance will be properly punished? Can Mukasey, and Gonzo also be prosecuted? If the present offenders know
they can be sent to Jail in January, will they
show some cooperation?:
Congress doesn’t have the power to prosecute. Anyone for constitutional reform?
It will take decades of change here before I’d tinker with our Constitution, too many greedy hands around now who would create a fascist dictatorship or a totalitarian state for themselves.
.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent the following letter to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, informing him of the referral letter sent to U.S. Attorney of the District of Columbia Jeffrey A. Taylor on contempt citations of former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten. Taylor is required by law to bring the matter before a grand jury. However, Mukasey has indicated that the Justice Department intends to prevent Taylor from complying with the law.
Served as majority counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee where he advised Chairman Orrin Hatch and drafted provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. Before his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Taylor served as Counselor to Attorneys General John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales from 2002 to 2006 where he oversaw law enforcement operations by U.S. attorneys.
He was appointed interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia by Alberto Gonzales on September 22, 2006 and was sworn in seven days later, interim U.S. Attorneys do not need to be confirmed by the Senate. Interim U.S. Attorneys have no term limit, as a result of an amendment to the law governing interim attorneys included in the USA Patriot Reauthorization Act of 2005. [H.R. 3199 – 109th] Formerly interim appointees had a 120-day term limit, and could be re-appointed (without term limit) at the end of the 120-day term by the chief judge of the district court.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Impeach him, if he won’t do his goddamn job. Yeah, he’s a low level type, and BushCo won’t hesitate to throw him under the bus for insubordination, but so what?
Taylor can do his job, resign, or be impeached. His choice.
what pisses me off about Conyers’ comment is that they most certainly have more than “the only choice of a lawsuit”.
And he damn well knows that too.
.
Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) — Republican lawmakers said they would support a contempt citation against President George W. Bush’s health secretary if he didn’t provide information in an investigation into the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, testifying at a House panel today, said he would work to resolve the demand by the letter’s stated deadline of tomorrow. The letter, requesting documents and interviews with certain FDA employees, was signed by top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee as well as Republican Representatives Joe Barton of Texas and John Shimkus of Illinois.
The committee’s oversight subcommittee is investigating whether FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach gave misleading testimony on Sanofi-Aventis SA’s antibiotic Ketek during a committee hearing in March.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."when people start talking about the holding cells at the Capital, then we’ll know we’re getting somewhere…
I’d like to see this guy have some work to do:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergeant_at_Arms_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives
This is more of Pelosi’s “stall stall stall” tactic about everything. She’s a classic enabler. She’s the closest thing to a Republican the Democratic Party has.
She should be impeached! She should be run out of the House, and run out of San Francisco. She’s a travesty of Justice.
Which is precisely the plan.
On both sides.
A tacit but mutually agreed upon plan, more than likely.
A gentleman’s agreement. No backroom palaver, just business as usual. Stalemate, new game commencing as we speak.
Play on…
AG
No big deal. And I’m not surprised in the slightest. But I did send pelosi a nasty email telling he to do her job or resign