WASHINGTON –
U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today condemned the White House for its decision not to honor five subpoenas issued by Congress in the firings of the eight U.S. Attorneys.
The Senate and House Judiciary Committee’s have issued five subpoenas for information related to the firings of eight U.S. Attorneys in 2006.
The subpoenas also were for the testimony of Harriett Miers, former Counsel to the President, and Sara Taylor, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Political Affairs.
Fred Fielding, the White House Counsel, sent a letter to Senator Patrick Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Rep. John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, stating that the White House would not comply with the subpoena requests.
Senator Cardin issued the following statement:
“Congress has a responsibility to determine whether these eight U.S. Attorneys were fired because they refused to politicize their duties. We are a nation of laws and no one is above the law, including the President or his advisers.
The Congress and the American people have a right to know to what extent the Department of Justice was politicized and whether prosecutions were either encouraged or discouraged for political reasons,” said Senator Cardin.
“The refusal of the White House to cooperate raises further questions about the Administration’s motives and conduct.”