The White House, moving toward a US constitutional showdown with
Congress, asserted executive privilege yesterday and rejected
lawmakers' demands for documents that could shed light on the
firings of federal prosecutors.
President George W. Bush's attorney told Congress the White
House would not turn over subpoenaed documents for former
presidential counsel Harriet Miers and former political director
Sara Taylor.
"With respect, it is with much regret that we are forced down
this unfortunate path which we sought to avoid by finding grounds
for mutual accommodation," White House counsel Fred Fielding said
in a letter to the chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary
Committees. "We had hoped this matter could conclude with your
committees receiving information in lieu of having to invoke
executive privilege. Instead, we are at this conclusion."
Tensions between the administration and Congress, where
Democrats took control in January, have been building for months as
the House and Senate Judiciary panels have sought to probe the
firings of eight federal prosecutors and the administration's
program of warrantless eavesdropping.
Yesterday was the deadline for surrendering the documents. The
White House also made clear that Miers and Taylor would not testify
next month, as directed by the subpoenas, which were issued on June
13.
The stalemate could end up with House and Senate contempt
citations and a battle in federal court over separation of powers
in the US government.
(China Daily via agencies June 29, 2007)
