House demands WH docs, testimony

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. House Democrats Monday demanded access to disputed administration documents and testimony related to the firing of nine U.S. attorneys last year.

The House Judiciary Committee said in a letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding the administration has until Friday to work out a deal if it wants to avoid a contempt of Congress charges against former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten.

The Washington Post reported leaders have been working to round up enough floor votes for the contempt citation and won't bring the issue up unless the support is there. The letter was sent one day before the Senate Judiciary Committee was expected to vote on the nomination of retired Judge Michael Mukasey as U.S. attorney general, replacing Alberto Gonzales, who was pushed out over the U.S. attorney firings.

The White House maintains Miers doesn't have to testify before Congress on the issue and Bolten doesn't need to turn over any documents because both involve the administration's internal deliberations.