White House OKs Rove, Miers interviews on U.S. attorneys - CNN.com
White House OKs Rove, Miers interviews on U.S. attorneys
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House will allow the president's top political adviser, Karl Rove, and former White House counsel Harriet Miers to be interviewed by congressional committees investigating how the firing of several U.S. attorneys was handled.
But Miers and Rove will not testify under oath, the White House said.
The announcement came after White House counsel Fred Fielding met with members of the House and Senate Judiciary committees, which had considered using subpoenas to force Rove, Miers and their two deputies to reveal what they knew about the firings of at least seven U.S. attorneys.
The White House's allowance of unsworn interviews only "is incomplete," said Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York.
"We would be able to interview the four people we requested ... but only in private, not under oath and with no transcript," he said.
Although Fielding indicated that he was not prepared to negotiate in the matter, Schumer said lawmakers would try to get tougher requirements for the interviews.
"He wanted this to be a conversation rather than a hearing, but let's have a conversation under oath and with a transcript," Schumer said.
A senior administration official says President Bush will reiterate support for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and will discuss the matter concerning Miers and Rove at 5:45 p.m. ET. He may take questions during his five- to six-minute talk.
Earlier Tuesday, Bush called Gonzales to reaffirm his support in the wake of controversy concerning the firings.
The Web site politico.com posted a story Tuesday morning citing anonymous sources as saying the White House had begun seeking candidates to replace Gonzales.
But White House spokesman Tony Snow said Tuesday that Bush was standing behind Gonzales, saying the telephone call was made to "reaffirm his strong backing" of the attorney general.