House Judiciary Hints At Subpoenas For Rove, Others

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Rep. Linda T. Sanchez (D-Calif.) hinted they are willing to issue subpoenas for White House documents and administration officials involved in the controversial firing of Eight U.S. attorneys, according to a letter the two Democrats sent White House Counsel Fred Fielding Monday.

The committee has already authorized subpoenas for top White House political strategist Karl Rove, his deputy J. Scott Jennings and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers. Investigators hope to explore their role in the firings, and the administration has failed to reach a compromise with congressional Democrats in both chambers about their testimony.

The two Democrats expressed their disappointment that the White House had not cooperated with the committee's ongoing probe of the controversial dismissal of the federal prosecutors.

"We write to make one last appeal for such voluntary cooperation," the lawmakers wrote. "If the White House persists in refusing to provide information to the House Judiciary Committee, or even to discuss providing such information, on a voluntary basis, we will have no alternative but to begin to resort to compulsory process in order to carry out our oversight responsibilities."