Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee,

To The House Agreement For Testimony And Documents
In U.S. Attorney Firings
March 4, 2009

 

“I hope today’s agreement will help to finally uncover the truth about the firings of U.S. Attorneys and the Bush White House cover up designed to shield from public view the inappropriate and illegal actions of the last administration.

 

“It should not have taken until now to obtain testimony and documents from Bush administration officials connected to the investigation into the firings.  Today’s agreement leaves in place the court ruling that rejected the Bush administration’s unprecedented and unfounded blanket claims of executive privilege and immunity.  I rejected those claims as excessive and wrong in my ruling on President Bush’s position over a year ago, and a bipartisan majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee ultimately found Karl Rove and former White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten in criminal contempt. 

 

“I commend Chairman Conyers for the agreement reached today.  I hope Congress, and the American people, will now finally hear long overdue answers to serious questions about political interference by the Bush White House in our nation’s top law enforcement agency.”

 

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