Rove And Miers To Testify Before U.S. House Panel

The Democratic-led House of Representatives Judiciary Committee said Rove would provide transcribed testimony behind closed doors.

Former Bush administration officials Karl Rove and Harriet Miers will testify before a congressional panel investigating the firings of nine federal prosecutors under a long-sought accord announced on Wednesday.

The Democratic-led House of Representatives Judiciary Committee said Rove, who was Bush's top political adviser, and Miers, who was his White House counsel, would provide transcribed testimony behind closed doors, and that the panel would reserve the right to have them testify in public.

In addition, the committee said in a statement that under the agreement it reached with the former administration, it will receive Bush White House documents relevant to the 2006 dismissal of the U.S. attorneys and that any claims of executive privilege would be "significantly limited."

The accord follows a federal court ruling last year that rejected Bush administration claims that it was shielded from having to provide testimony or documents by such privilege.

Alberto Gonzales resigned under pressure as U.S. attorney general because of a furor over the firings of the federal prosecutors. Gonzales denied any wrongdoing but admitted that the matter had been mishandled.

Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, a Democrat whose probe of the firings had been hindered by an uncooperative Bush administration, hailed the accord.

"I have long said that I would see this matter through to the end and am encouraged that we have finally broken through the Bush administration's claims of absolute immunity," Conyers said in a statement.

"This is a victory for the separation of powers and congressional oversight," Conyers said. "It is also a vindication of the search for truth."

"I am determined to have it known whether U.S. attorneys in the Department of Justice were fired for political reasons, and if so, by whom," Conyers said.

President Barack Obama's White House counsel, Greg Craig, hailed the agreement.

"The president is pleased that the parties have agreed to resolve this matter amicably and that they have committed to work in good faith to bring about a timely and final resolution of this matter, which is in the interest of the American people," Craig said.