Rove defies subpoena, skips House hearing

Former top White House adviser Karl Rove on Thursday ignored a subpoena and skipped a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on the alleged politicization of the Department of Justice under the Bush administration.

His failure to appear caused the panel’s Democrats to reject the reasons for his absence and Republicans to defend Rove.

{mosads}“I’ve given Mr. Rove’s written claims careful consideration, and I’ve ruled that those claims are not legally valid and that Mr. Rove is required, pursuant to the subpoena, to be here now and to answer questions,” said subcommittee Chairwoman Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.).

Rove was subpoenaed to testify before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law about his role in the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D) and the firing of several U.S. attorneys.

Sanchez said she expects the issue will now go to the full committee and then the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote to hold Rove in either statutory contempt or inherent contempt.

“We are not going to let this matter drop,” Sanchez said on MSNBC. “We are going to pursue it.”

Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) defended Rove, saying that he did have immunity from testifying and that the Democratic insistence on holding the hearing was a “partisan stunt.”

Cannon said Rove was out of the country on a “long-planned trip.”

“Republicans hoped the Democratic majority would finally accept Mr. Rove’s offer without creating a partisan confrontation,” said Rep. Lamar Smith (Texas), the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. “But again, the Democratic majority has refused.”

In a letter to committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) sent Wednesday, Rove’s lawyer said he would consider attending an informal interview or responding to the subcommittee’s questions in written form, but that, per order of the White House, he would not testify at a hearing.