Leahy Issues Subpoena for Rove Emails
    By Klaus Marre
    The Hill

    Wednesday 02 May 2007

    Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) issued a subpoena Wednesday for all e-mails from White House adviser Karl Rove that relate to the firings of eight U.S. attorneys.

    "Attached please find a subpoena compelling the Department by May 15 to produce any and all emails and attachments to emails to, from, or copied to Karl Rove related to the Committee's investigation into the preservation of prosecutorial independence and the Department of Justice's politicization of the hiring and firing and decision-making of United States Attorneys, from any (1) White House account, (2) Republican National Committee account, or (3) other account, in the possession, custody or control of the Department of Justice," Leahy said in a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

    The senator had requested the information from Gonzales when the attorney general testified before the committee and in a follow-up letter. However, Leahy said that Gonzales did not respond.

    "I continue to hope that the Department will cooperate with the Committee's investigation, but it is troubling that significant documents highly relevant to the Committee's inquiry have not been produced," Leahy said in the letter.

    "Indeed, despite multiple requests for the Department to produce documents voluntarily related to the Committee's investigation into the mass firings of U.S. Attorneys and politicization at the Department, the Department's production of documents has been selective and incomplete," Leahy added. "Many documents have been withheld or redacted without any legal basis being set forth."

    Leahy said the Department of Justice has until May 15 to comply with the subpoena.