By Associated Press
Beverly Hills, CA – Karl Rove is defending his decision to defy a congressional subpoena, saying he's offered to answer lawmakers' questions as long as there's no transcript and he's not under oath. He also offered to answer written questions.
During a Fox News panel, the former White House aide and current Fox News contributor said the issue centers on ''the ability of the president to receive advice from senior advisers and for those senior advisers not to be at the beck-and-call of Congress for testimony.''
Lawmakers subpoenaed Rove in May to force him to talk about whether he played a role in prosecutors' decisions to pursue cases against Democrats, such as former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, or in firing federal prosecutors considered disloyal to the Bush administration.
The White House has cited executive privilege as a reason for Rove to defy the subpoena.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)