House committee cites Rove for contempt

WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to hold former White House aide Karl Rove in contempt of Congress for not answering a subpoena to testify.

The 20-to-14 committee vote was along strict party lines, The Hill, a Washington political newspaper, reported.

Committee members are seeking Rove's testimony in connection with alleged politicization of the U.S. Department of Justice under President George Bush, and specifically about the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, The Hill said.

"Mr. Rove has refused even to appear before the committee and assert whatever privileges that he believes may apply to his testimony, relying on excessively broad and legally insufficient claims of 'absolute immunity' -- never recognized by any court -- in declining to appear," Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., wrote in a memo.

Ranking Republican committee member Lamar Smith, R-Texas, however, said there was no "credible evidence" to support a contempt citation for Rove, Bush's former chief domestic adviser.

The Bush administration has asserted Rove is protected from testifying by the executive privilege doctrine.

It wasn't clear if the citation would be brought before the full House for a vote a the body prepares for its August recess, The Hill said.