Conyers Threatens WH With INHERENT CONTEMPT-"If I Do Not Hear From You-I Will Have NO Choice"

[kpete]

BY FAX AND U.S. MAIL

Mr. Fred F. Fielding
Counsel to the President
Office of the Counsel to the President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530

Dear Mr. Fielding:

I am disappointed that the President's Chief of Staff Josh Bolten has continued to disobey the subpoena served on him on June 13, 2007, and has not produced the documents called for by that subpoena. Enclosed with this letter is a copy of the text of a ruling by Chairwoman Sanchez at today's meeting of the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law rejecting the claims of privilege that you have sought to raise in response to that subpoena. The ruling was sustained by a 7-3 vote of the Subcommittee.

This letter is to formally notify you that I must insist on compliance with the subpoena, and that Mr. bolten's failure to promptly mitigate his noncompliance could result in contempt proceedings, including, but not limited to proceedings under 2 U.S.C §§ 192, 194 or under the inherent contempt authority of the House of Representatives. In light of Chairwoman Sanchez's ruling, we strongly urge immediate production of the responsive documents pursuant to the subpoena. Please let me know in writing by 10 a.m. on Monday July 23, 2007. whether Mr. Bolten will comply. If I do not hear from you in the affirmative by then, the Committee will have no choice but to consider appropriate recourse.

more at:
http://judiciary.house.gov/Media/PDFS/Conyers070719.pdf

[Subdivisions]

1. And will it slip silently away just as the Miers matter seems to have? n/t

[aquart]

4. What makes you think anything has "slipped away"?

[MonkeyFunk]

6. The Miers matter hasn't silently slipped away....

come on.

[Subdivisions]

12. She snubbed them TWICE, yet she still walks free. And I haven't

heard anything about it since. Maybe I'm missing something?

[MonkeyFunk]

13. yes

you're missing something; patience.

These things aren't resolved overnight.

[blondeatlast]

17. It's been a WEEK. Relaz--and keep in mind that a mistake on the JC's part

could doom the entire process.

[shadowknows69]

24. I'll bet if I ignored a supeona

It would take someone less than a week to charge me in contempt. Probably like immediately? Let's do it JC.

[beyurslf]

26. If you a ignore a subpoena after the President of the US tells you to, I bet they would take

longer than a week to come get you.

[blondeatlast]

28. And imagine if there was one t uncrossed...

It sounds so easy from behind our monitirs, doesn't it? :hi:

[John Q. Citizen]

34. True, the pres is the king now, and they have to take that into consideration.

[blondeatlast]

14. It hasn't "slipped away," criminey--it's only been a week and the entire House

has to vote to issue the subpoena. Are you familiar with legal proceedings in the world outside of DC? This is moving rather quickly, actually. From John Dean, 7/13

The House Judiciary Committee itself cannot hold Miers in contempt; rather, the Committee can only report its request that this be done to the full House, which must then vote to deem her in contempt. Before the full House turns to this question, however, its members should not only carefully consider what they are doing, but also consider what they are not doing. At this stage, it is unclear how far this conflict will progress. The White House appears to have given this matter much more thought than Congressional leaders have thus far.

Keep in mind that a technicality would crash the entire process, too.

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20070713.html

Dear DUers--DC politics is a little more complicated than warching a DVD...

[rocktivity]

2. Well, that ends the day on a "up" note!

Cue the Vonage theme!

:woohoo:
rocknation

[marmar]

9. Is that the "hoo hoo, hoo hoo hoo" theme.....?

Drives me mad! :crazy:

[rocktivity]

21. Yes, it is--and you're not alone

One DU-er says that his dog howls whenever the commercial comes on!

:)
rocknation

[Uncle Joe]

3. Thank you Congressman Conyers for your service to our nation.

:patriot:

Thanks for the thread kpete.

Kicked and recommended.

[Supersedeas]

19. yes, America appreciates it.

[liberalnurse]

5. Just do it!

Now......Enough with the warning shots over their heads....They are armed, dangerous and aiming directly at us!

Stop fucking around and go for it Rep. Conyers. We have your back!

[KaryninMiami]

46. THANK YOU (my thoughts exactly). Enough Already---Do IT

Do Something--quickly.

[glowing]

7. Does it even matter if they are held in contempt? Bush will just

pardon them... time to fry the big cheese.

[helderheid]

8. This means handcuffs, does it not???

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

27. No handcuffs on Miers yet, which should have been done, so why on Bolton?

:shrug:

[Major Hogwash]

10. Then he locked himself in his room and refused to come eat dinner.

"Wait till your father gets home, young man," his Mom yelled through the door.

[Disturbed]

18. " Bush will just Pardon...."

The Pres cannot issue a Pardon in this case.

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. OR "under the Inherent Contempt" authority. Any bets here? Will he waste time going the 2 U.S.C 194?

or will he go directly to Inherent Contempt? 194 is a HUGE WASTE OF TIME. The D.C. USA isn't going to do jack shit. He's a GONZO recess appointee.:(

[Richard Steele]

15. K&R

[Rosa Luxemburg]

16. so what is the appropriate course - death by firing squad or Gitmo?

Congress will get 10/10 if they pull this off.

[EFerrari]

20. Thank you, Mr. Conyers.

We are in your debt.

[lovuian]

22. Its good that Conyers is getting the News out that

Bush will have to comply or else

[jasmeel]

23. Let's fuckin' arrest some people!! PLEASE! PLEASE!!

[wtmusic]

30. I'm on board for a good frog march

:popcorn:

[MiniMe]

25. A very wise choice by Conyers

By referencing the ruling regarding Harriet Miers, they are letting her know that they will go after her too. But going after Bolten and putting him in jail is a much better move media wise than putting a 60 something year old woman in jail. Hold on to your hats, its going to get bumpy.

[creeksneakers2]

32. Even better

would be to use the Pat Tillman investigation for the test case. The White House will find little sympathy for covering up the facts surrounding the death of a US hero. I don't see the public getting excited enough about US attorneys alone to want blood. Unless, the public understands that Bush is worse than Nixon and has put himself above the law.

[Marr]

45. I agree with you- good point.

[wryter2000]

29. Awesome!

Do it, Congressman Conyers. Do it!

[SeattleGirl]

31. Thank you, Mr. Conyers!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[Vidar]

33. A good move, but why not just skip the ineffective threat?

[Kablooie]

35. Oh God, I wish, I wisn.

But ... naw ... ain't gonna happen.

I'm sure Conyers is sincere in wanting to, but he has no power against Cheney/Bush.

Even if he goes through with it, it will be quashed by Bush and his cronies.

They are truly invincible at this point, in my, decidedly negative, opinion.


Unless I see a life or death struggle happening to this administration, I firmly believe they are absolutely invicible and will NEVER be brought to account for the horrors they have perpetrated.

[dflprincess]

36. The deadline for Miers was 5pm yesterday -

anything happen on that today?

[pberq]

37. Inherent Contempt!!! - this is the answer

As explained on Randi Rhodes and Keith Olberman by legal scholars, the House has this power to conduct their own trial.

This MUST be done - otherwise we have a dictatorship.

[blogslut]

38. John Conyers is a hero

Those bastids got till Monday and then it's votin' time.

[Ghost in the Machine]

39. YAY!! Another letter!!!

:woohoo: :bounce: :bounce: :wow: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[Javaman]

40. oh for christ sakes, just do it. damn it. nt

[mike_c]

41. stop threatening and DO SOMETHING!

eom

[progressoid]

42. I want to be happy about this but I have a feeling I'll be disappointed my Monday afternoon.

[sellitman]

43. So what?

What teeth does Conyers have?

[Generator]

44. July 23rd?

Cindy's drop dead date. The downing street memo date.

Everyone's children will rue the fucking day we didn't impeach these cretins. Because the next ones in their will be the real fascists. Bush/Cheney will seem like harmless fun in comparison. They have set the precedent for absolute executive power, and yeah we whine and bitch because they call us traitors or cheat and lie-but goddamn it people the NEXT ones that get a hold of this power will be killing people HERE that defy them. And it will be within their power. V for Vendetta-that's the future I see.

[halobeam]

47. k & r