Conyers to Fielding: Bolton Would Be Wise to Show Up

Jesse Lee at The Gavel reports: Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law Chairwoman Linda Sánchez ruled to reject the White House’s privilege claims as a basis for refusing to comply with the Committee’s subpoena for White House documents, and the ruling was upheld by the Subcommittee. Full Committee Chairman John Conyers has just written a letter to White House counsel Fred Fielding informing him of the ruling and warning of consequences to come should the White House not comply by 10 a.m. on Monday July 23, 2007. Conyers' letter: 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 Sánchez 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 Sánchez’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. Sincerely, John Conyers, Jr. Chairman