Karl Rove in contempt: Is it justice or a witch hunt?

The House Judiciary Committee voted along straight party lines this morning -- 20 to 14 -- to issue a contempt citation against former White House political maestro Karl Rove. The offense: failing to honor a subpoena to testify about his role in the federal and possibly political prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, a popular Democrat sent who was to prison on corruption charges that are now under appeal.

A coalition of groups pushing for the  contempt citation hailed the move. "We couldn't be more pleased with the Judiciary Committee for standing up for American democracy and the rule of law by recommending to the House that it find Rove in contempt," said Robert Greenwald, president of Brave New Films, the organization that launched the Rove campaign. (The group also wants Connecticut's Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman banished from the Democratic Party for supporting GOP presidential nominee John McCain).

Yesterday the coalition delivered three boxes of petitions containing 127,000 signatures urging a contempt citation to California's Linda Sanchez, a subcommittee chairwoman, who opined, "I think it's ridiculous that Karl Rove thinks that he doesn't have to follow the law. Nobody in this country should be above the law."

But with the contempt resolution now on its way to the House floor, the committee's ranking Republican, Lamar Smith of Texas, castigated the action as "a Salem witch trial of Karl Rove."

Accusing Democrats and reporters of a rush to judgment, Smith said there is no credible evidence to support a contempt resolution against Karl Rove.

Rove failed to appear before the committee, citing executive privilege, and the session came to be known as "the empty chair hearing." But he did answer questions in writing. As C2C (Countdown to Crawford) reported last Wednesday, Rove sent an unsigned letter to Smith, denying any involvement in Siegelman's case. In the  letter, forwarded to the committee by his attorney, Rove said:

I have never communicated, either directly or indirectly, with Justice Department or Alabama officials about the investigation, indictment, potential prosecution, prosecution, conviction or sentencing of Gov. Siegelman, or about any other matter related to his case, nor have I asked any other individual to communicate about these matters on my behalf. I have never attempted, either directly or indirectly, to influence these matters.

But Siegelman, in a subsequent e-mail to Times staffer Tom Hamburger on Thursday, called on the former White House strategist to testify under oath. He particularly questioned whether Rove talked about the case with Bill Canary, a Republican whose wife is the U.S. attorney in Montgomery, Ala. That office indicted Siegelman -- though Canary recused herself from the case. In the e-mail, Siegelman wrote:

Rove refused to deny that he had plotted with the US Attorney's husband, Bill Canary, to get his wife to further the joint state/federal investigation which was started by Rove's client, the Alabama attorney general. Karl Rove built his career in Alabama working with Bill Canary. Rove's client started investigating me in 1999 right after I endorsed Al Gore.  Then the wife of Rove's associate, Laura Canary, accelerated the case federally in 2001, she indicted me during the 2006 campaign, and she brought me to trial less than four weeks before the election. There is sworn testimony that Bill Canary said that he had it worked out with Karl to destroy me, and that two Alabama US Attorneys would do the job.  Both those US Attorneys did in fact indict me.  And now, Rove refuses to deny that he talked to Bill Canary about prosecuting me. They sent me to prison on less evidence than this.”

Back at the Judiciary Committee, Smith warned his colleagues that "the American people have a low opinion of Congress" and  "the relentless efforts to malign an outgoing administration only lower the public's opinion of Congress."

Meanwhile Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin, wrote a letter to the committee pointing out that Rove "has not asserted any personal privileges." In the letter to Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), Luskin writes:

He has declined to appear because he was directed not to do so by the president of the United States. While we understand that the committee disagrees with the legal position that the president has taken, punishing Mr. Rove will not vindicate the committee's authority. Neither will a contempt vote resolve the dispute.

The question of executive privilege -- does Bush or any POTUS have the right to withhold testify of top aides -- is now before the U.S. District Court in DC.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Jennifer Simonson /Associated Press

Comments

[Harry Hippie]

I sincerely hope congress continues it's efforts to get to the heart of the matter. That heart lies in Karl Rove's meticulous ways to use the justice dept. to take out political opponents. Go to www.donsiegelman and find the heart for yourself.

[Neil]

Rove is a treasonous individual who should be held responsible for his actions, and punished accordingly (I believe the punishment for treason is death during wartime, but I may be wrong).

The only problem with convicting Karl Rove is that there is a 99.99% certainty that Bush will pardon him for being a 'bushie' (Bush loyalist).

There still remains the issue of who exactly gave him permission to out the CIA agent, and Rove should be held in prison (Guantanamo) until he both reveals this, and his sentence has been carried out.

[Michael]

Should be easy to find him, just follow the slime trail.

[xbjlllb]

Witchhunt?

Far more restrained than the way the Italians dealt with Mussolini and their fascists after WWII, with piano wire...

[James McDouglas]

Justice or a witch hunt?

Why not both?

Rove sold his soul to satan long ago... so burn him at the stake, I say.

[cally]

If I ignored a subpoena to Congress, you can bet I'd have been issued a contempt citation faster than the shredding machines working overtime in the White House.

[Michael Compton]

C'mon guys.....Regardless of what one thinks of Rove, he snubbed a subpoena. Should there be no consequences at all? Does the rule of law mean nothing? If you or I failed to appear, there would be consequences - should we allow Rove to play by a different set of rules?

[Wilson Flood]

It is about time the congress stopped having its nose rubbed like it was someone's puppy being potty trained. Defy a subpoena? Go to Jail, Rove, like anyone else.

[Walenski]

This IS a witch hunt. It's about time they started hunting actual witches.

[MKochinski]

It's justice, plain and simple.

The people currently defending Rove are the same ones who claimed there was no politicization of the Justice Department, claimed there was no torture going on, claimed the government wouldn't wiretap without a warrant, claimed there were WMDs in Iraq, claimed Saddam was the same thing as Osama, claimed invading Iraq would take weeks and that we would be welcomed with flowers. You'd think the Times would learn eventually.

[Peter Parrott]

This is a nothing more than a witch hunt, based on animus toward the President. Democrats don't want to address our need for drilling off shore, and are looking for distractions from that subject. If there was ANY credible evidence of wrongdoing, the professional proscutors at Justice, who have just indicted a Republican Senator, would act against Rove. Judge Mukasey, who is truly objective after 16 years on the bench, has found nothing of substance to this Rove witch hunt.

[JB]

It's not the "Salem witch trial of Karl Rove." It is actually the "Nuremberg war crimes trial of Karl Rove."

[Jim]

This is the most anti-american, fiscally liberal administration in our countries brief history and the fascist corporate media is directly responsible.

The 'out of control' national debt is no accident! 70 cents out of every tax dollar now goes towards interest on the 'purposely inflated' national debt. Where's the media? Can you say REVOLUTION! The average democracy lasts 200 years.... We are WAY past due!

[tom]

Finally someone is calling these guys out. The reason most have a low opinion of congress is not because congress is going after these crooks, it is because they HAVE NOT gone after these crooks!!!

Now get him and that blond fake lawyer Goodling in jail fast so Bush and pardon them.

[David H.]

I don't quite understand the statement from Lamar Smith saying there is no credible evidence against Rove regarding this contempt charge.

The man did not honor the federal subpoena he was issued. His absence from the investigation is evidence enough, right?

I'm very interested to see how this ends. If he doesn't, at the very least, get a slap on the wrist, it will continue to validate the corrupt nature of the Bush administration.

[JimFolks]

You people want justice? How about who sold our military secrets to the Chinese? I do believe that is punishable by death. But I forget you libs are against that unless it is a Republican that is being executed....

[181]

execution.

[puciret]

Last time I was held in contempt they put me in jail. But then again I don't have a lot of money and can't consider myself above the law.

[Jes]

They ought to let this go nice and slow and finish up in February. The congress should also let some other investigations hang around a bit longer too. Such as Plamegate, wiregate, torturegate, and the many other ___gates this administration has left like a huge scar on this country's legacy. Fascism is not acceptable in any circumstance.

[Chris E.]

I'm tired of seeing the average American locked away just for having a bag of contraband material, while the wealthy and the powerful flout the law, rob thousands of employees of their pensions, buy politicians, and start wars which cost thousands of innocent lives. To top it all off people for some reason always end up being so hesitant to prosecute those who've had every opportunity to good but choose not to, while those pushed into a life a crime are treated as less than human and shuttled off from decent society for the rest of their lives. I say that, Democrat or Republican -- I don't care -- they need to be punished to the utmost extent of the law when they abuse the power we've given them.

[Dan Thomas]

Someone mentioned Treason. If you want to bring up treason then let's line up the Liberals. Never in the history of our country have we had political leaders stand in front of the nation and say things like "Our Marines are cold blooded murderers" and "We cannot win this war"> That is treason!!
Dan Thomas

[RB-Chiicago]

Contempt? He should be in PRISON!

[Ken]

Like just about everything that Congress does these days, this is a meaningless action. There is NOTHING that the house judiciary committee can do that Bush can't undo.

[Mark]

My low opinion of a Democrat controlled Congress has much to do with their failure to act when their authority is scoffed at by an executive branch too long held unaccountable. This is a good step toward regaining some overdue respectability. I sincerely believe the numbers will rise as these fugitives from justice are finally called to account for themselves.

[ljeff18]

Thank god he was finally caught for something.