Bolten & Miers: Contempt Of Congress

Led by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), the House Judiciary Committee just voted 22-17 in a decision that forces the full House to vote whether to hold White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former staff lawyer Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress for refusing to submit to subpoenas regarding the Alberto Gonzales scandal. The White House contends that all its staffers enjoy absolute immunity from subpoenas due to "executive privilege."

Conyers has drafted a resolution for a vote that would cite Bolten and Miers for contempt and subject them to arrest, with a possible $100,000 fine and one year prison sentence upon conviction. Which, of course, will never happen. Because IF the resolution passes a full House, Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi would refer the case to the U.S. Attorney for Washington, DC.....who is a Bush appointee and according to Justice officials would not pursue the case. The last person cited for contempt of Congress was EPA lackey Rita Lavelle, back in 1983, for refusing to appear before a House committee.