Conyers Stays In Attack Mode

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mi.) moved forward last night with his multi-pronged effort to get the White House to say something. Conyers, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, fired off a press release that Congress has filed a brief (pdf) in a civil lawsuit against the White House. The lawsuit is against former White House aides Joshua Bolten and Harriet Miers, who have refused to testify about the Justice Dept’s firing of U.S. attorneys. When Attorney General Michael Mukasey said he would not force Miers and Bolten to testify about their roles in the scandal, Conyers proceeded with the civil suit.

The brief continues in the recent tradition of Conyer’s colorful oversight. He slams Miers and Bolten for their "contumacious disobedience." And it appears just about every former U.S. Attorney has filed a friends of the court brief (Conyers’ press release explains that the "list includes a bipartisan group of U.S. Attorneys appointed by every President since Lyndon B. Johnson except Gerald Ford.")

Last week, Conyers subpoenaed Karl Rove to testify about the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Seigelman (D) as well as U.S. Attorney-related matters. Conyers has vowed to "get" Rove and seems intent on pinning down Miers and Bolton as well. None of the three has legally asserted executive privilege, so Congress seems to have a strong claim that nothing is stopping them from testifying. But the Bush administration just needs a few more months of contumacious disobedience before the spotlight shines on a new administration.