WASHINGTON, July 12 (UPI) -- A U.S. House panel Thursday rejected President George W. Bush's claim of executive privilege and moved to bring contempt charges against a former Bush aide.
Former White House Counsel Harriet Miers refused to appear before a House Judiciary subcommittee to discuss her role in the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, after current White House Counsel Fred Fielding told her she could ignore the committee's subpoena, The Hill newspaper said Thursday.
The House panel, in a 7-5 vote, found Miers out of order and rejected Bush's executive privilege claim.
The vote was the first step by Democratic lawmakers to pursue contempt charges against Miers as part of the U.S. attorneys probe, The Washington Post said.
Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, the ranking Republican on the House subcommittee, accused the Democratic majority of "swaggering its power" in Congress.
