To United States Department of Justice Serve: Attorney General John Ashcroft
You are hereby commanded to produce the things identified on the attached schedule before the
The fact is the House Of Representatives has zero authority to make a President or anyone who works for him do anything the president dosen't want to do. That is what the constitution means by 3 EQUAL branched of goverment. NO one brach answers to the other except on impeachment. Ofcourse the DOJ can indict Congressmen and Judges too. But demanding papers has not validity in law.
Members of the house have been demanding papers and reports from the excutive branch since Thomas Jefferson was President.
Jefferson and every president who has followed has told the legislative branch to shove it.
The president who got hounded the most was Andrew Johnson. They almost convincted him on impeachment, but failed by one vote. They were not after Johnson, they just wanted to nail the people who had served with Lincoln.
A congressman from New York whose name was Hamilton Fish was always trying to make FDR divulge stuff. FDR has a ton of fun at Fish's expense. Fish was a third generation New York legislator, and loved to taunt FDR. FDR had a way of saying "REP PRE SENT TA TIVE HAM "ILL" "TON" Fehhhh isssh" Thea Thi errr DAAA that was funny as hell.
Every time the press asked FDR if he was going to meet Fish's demands, FDR would spend what seemed like 3 or 4 minutes just saying Fish's title and name once. After he said the name he would continue to say the matter is under consideration and deliberation. It took FDR another 3 minues to get consideration and deliberation fully enunciated.
After a while no won paid any attention to "REP PRE SEN TA TIVE HAM ILL TON FEEEEESSSSSH. THE THE ERRR DAAA. I believe Fish finally lost his bid for re-election.
If Burton keeps it up so will he.
Do you want Clinton protected by the evidence being withheld from Congress?