'Send Rove to Jail' Coalition Prevails: House Judiciary Committee Votes to Hold Karl Rove in Contempt

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
'Send Rove to Jail' Coalition Prevails: House Judiciary Committee Votes to Hold Karl Rove in Contempt

WASHINGTON - One day after a coalition of citizens' groups delivered a petition with 127,000 names to the House Judiciary Committee asking members to find Karl Rove in contempt of Congress, by a 20-14 vote this morning, the committee did just that.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the Judiciary Committee for standing up for American democracy and the rule of law by recommending to the House that it find Rove in contempt," said Robert Greenwald, president of Brave New Films, the organization that launched the campaign.

The coalition, which also includes CREDO Mobile, People For the American Way, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, The Nation, Campaign for America's Future, and Progress Now, is now preparing to take its effort to the full House.

Three boxes of petitions were hand delivered to Congresswoman and House Judiciary Committee member Linda Sanchez (D-CA) yesterday afternoon, who received them in person. "I think it's ridiculous that Karl Rove thinks that he doesn't have to follow the law," said Congresswoman Sanchez. "And nobody in this country should be above the law." This morning, Congresswoman Sanchez was among the sizable majority of committee members who voted to recommend to the full House of Representatives that Rove be found in contempt for willfully ignoring a Congressional subpoena.

Should the House pass a contempt resolution, which it can do by a simple majority vote, then the Sergeant-at-Arms for the chamber would be ordered to arrest Karl Rove and bring him to the floor of the House to answer to the charges and to be issued punishment. The case would then be referred to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, who would in turn refer it to a grand jury. If convicted, Rove could face between one month and one year in jail.