The White House accused congressional Democrats Wednesday of trying to create a “media circus” by subpoenaing two former presidential aides in the flap over fired federal prosecutors.
But White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said it was “way premature” to discuss whether the administration would go to court to fight the subpoenas for former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and former Political Director Sara Taylor. Democrats want to question the women about possible political motivations behind the administration’s firing of eight federal prosecutors.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers suggested he would subpoena Miers to testify July 12.
“Let me be clear: this subpoena is not a request,” Conyers said. “It is a demand on behalf of the American people for the White House to make available the documents and individuals we are requesting to help us answer the questions that remain.”
His remarks were echoed by Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, who has subpoenaed Taylor to testify July 11, echoed his remarks.
“The White House’s continued stonewalling leads to the obvious conclusion that the White House is hiding the truth because there is something to hide,” Leahy wrote in a letter Wednesday to White House Counsel Fred Fielding.
Earlier, Fielding had offered to make administration officials available for questioning behind closed doors, with no transcript of the proceedings.
“Why won’t members of the Senate simply take yes for an answer?” Snow said Wednesday. “They have the opportunity to be able to ask all the questions and have access to the documents.”
“This seems to us to be one of these things in which, if you really are trying to get the facts, you will accept access to all the key players and all the key documents. If in fact you are looking for something else – such as a media circus – you’re going to adopt a different approach.”
