Press release: “Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), in consultation with Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), issued subpoenas Thursday compelling White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and Deputy Director White House Political Affairs J. Scott Jennings to provide testimony and related information as part of ongoing congressional investigations into the mass firings of federal prosecutors and politicization of hiring and firing within the Department of Justice. Rove, a senior political advisor to President Bush, and the White House political operation — which Rove heads – have been linked to the project that resulted in the unprecedented firings of several well-performing federal prosecutors, according to information gathered by the Committee through documents, interviews and testimony. Jennings, who works in the White House political office as a deputy to Rove, has also been linked to the project. Several of the dismissed prosecutors have testified under oath and in public statements that they were unaware of performance problems and believe political influence was a factor in their firings.”

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