September 19, 2008 - 6:56 am
Thirteen people, including Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband Todd, have been subpoenaed to appear before Alaska's Senate Judiciary Committee this morning to testify in an investigation initiated by Alaska Republicans into whether Palin improperly sought to fire her former brother-in-law, a state trooper. Palin initially said she would cooperate with the investigation. Once she became the Republicans' vice presidential nominee, that promise was withdrawn. It is unclear whether her husband will cooperate with the investigation.
Should Todd Palin and other witnesses not appear, their refusal should be seen as part of pattern of ignoring subpoenas set by Republicans under President Bush.
Among the former administration officials who have thumbed their noses at Congress are former Bush adviser Karl Rove, former White House counsel Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten, White House chief of staff.
All were subpoenaed to testify about the alleged politically-motivated firings of a dozen U.S. attorneys and a suspect corruption investigation that wrongly led to the imprisonment of Donald Siegelman, Alabama's former governor. All wrongly claim that they are protected from testifying by executive privilege, though only Bolten still works for the president ...
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