Panel cites Rove, Bolten for contempt

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- A U.S. Senate panel voted Thursday to hold the White House in contempt of Congress for not providing subpoenaed information on the firings of U.S. attorneys.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-7 to hold former White House adviser Karl Rove and current White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten in contempt of Congress, The Hill reported. The resolutions next goes to the Senate floor.

The committee issued subpoenas separately to Bolten and Rove, seeking testimony and information in an investigation into the nine federal attorneys' firings and whether the U.S. Justice Department had become politicized. Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned because of the controversy and several top officials in the department stepped down.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Bolten didn't produced any of the documents sought in the subpoena and Rove didn't appear to testify as required by the subpoena. The White House claimed Rove, who resigned in August, was immune from testifying.

Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, voted in favor of the resolutions, saying they wanted to maintain congressional oversight power over the executive branch, The Hill reported.