Leahy, Specter slam Gonzales for bucking subpoena

In a sharply worded letter made public Wednesday, the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee scolded Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for failing to comply with their requests and subpoena for e-mails of top White House strategist Karl Rove.

Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking Republican Arlen Specter (Pa.) have asked for Rove’s e-mails related to the firings of several U.S. attorneys. The two senators are growing more impatient with the Department of Justice and gave Gonzales a strict deadline to produce the documents.

{mosads}“You ignored the subpoena, did not come forward today, did not produce the documents and did not even offer an explanation for your noncompliance,” the senators wrote late Tuesday. “Your action today is in defiance of the Committee’s subpoena without explanation of any legal basis for doing so.”

Leahy requested the documents from Gonzales during his April 19 testimony in front of the panel. He again requested the documents in an April 25 letter and subpoenaed them on May 2.

“Please provide the documents compelled by the subpoena to the Committee immediately and without further delay,” the senators wrote. “You should at least have provided in writing the specific reasons for not producing any responsive documents, including any objections to the subpoena or privileges claimed by the Department. You failed in that obligation, as well.

“Please provide the information requested by May 18 at 10 a.m.,” the senators added. “The Committee intends to get to the truth”