Former Bush Advisers To Testify on Firings of U.S. Attorneys

Former Bush advisers Karl Rove and Harriet Miers, in a deal struck between the former president and a House panel, will testify on the firings of nine U.S. attorneys that led to accusations that the Bush Justice Department was politicized.

The agreement reached Wednesday ends a lawsuit over whether former White House aides could be forced to testify about matters on which they advised the president. Bush had ordered the aides not to testify on the matter.

"We have learned that representatives of former President Bush and the House Judiciary Committee have reached an agreement that will permit Karl Rove to appear before the Committee to testify about the dismissal of US Attorneys and the prosecution of former Governor Siegelman," Rove's attorney Robert Luskin said in a statement.

"That agreement is good news.  Mr. Rove looks forward to addressing the Committee's concerns," he said.

"Mr. Rove has consistently maintained that he would not assert any personal privileges to refuse to appear or testify, but was required to follow the direction of the President on matters of executive privilege. Within these constraints, we have worked hard to find constructive way to address the Committee's concerns and are pleased that the Committee and President Bush were able to resolve their differences."

Rove, who served as a political adviser to former president Bush, and Miers, former White House Counsel, will testify in transcribed depositions under the penalty of perjury before the House Judiciary Committee.

The committee says it also might call the two for public testimony.

Rob Saliterman, spokesman of Bush's office, released the following statement:

"At the urging of the Obama Administration, and in consideration of the Executive Branch interests at stake, we have reached an accommodation with the House Judiciary Committee that satisfies the Committee's desire for additional information and will finally put this matter to rest."