Judiciary Committee Files Contempt Of Congress

Just in from the House Judiciary Committee...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 5, 2007

***Update: House Judiciary Committee Files Contempt of Congress Report with House Clerk***

(Washington, DC)- Today, at approximately 2:45 p.m., the House Judiciary Committee filed its contempt of Congress report with the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. The full text is available online here.

The report filed (as linked above) is an 842-page PDF file.

Earlier today, RAW STORY reported the "one last chance" being offered to the White House by House Judiciary Chairman, John Conyers (D-MI), that would lead to his committee dropping the contempt recommendation.

UPDATE: The report filed is for criminal contempt, versus inherent contempt. The former relies on any contempt citation being picked up by the U.S. Attorney from D.C. The latter is an option, rarely used, available to either house of Congress to hold their own hearings in the Capitol, in which the Sergeant-at-Arms could be instructed to jail those found guilty of such contempt. Unlike criminal contempt, inherent contempt would not rely on the DoJ's agreement to pursue the charges. Bush attorneys have already made clear that they would not allow attorneys in the Justice Dept. to do so.

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