The White House, moving toward a US constitutional showdown with Congress, asserted executive privilege yesterday and rejected lawmakers' demands for documents that could shed light on the firings of federal prosecutors.

President George W. Bush's attorney told Congress the White House would not turn over subpoenaed documents for former presidential counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor.

"With respect, it is with much regret that we are forced down this unfortunate path which we sought to avoid by finding grounds for mutual accommodation," White House counsel Fred Fielding said in a letter to the chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. "We had hoped this matter could conclude with your committees receiving information in lieu of having to invoke executive privilege. Instead, we are at this conclusion."

Tensions between the administration and Congress, where Democrats took control in January, have been building for months as the House and Senate Judiciary panels have sought to probe the firings of eight federal prosecutors and the administration's program of warrantless eavesdropping.

Yesterday was the deadline for surrendering the documents. The White House also made clear that Miers and Taylor would not testify next month, as directed by the subpoenas, which were issued on June 13.

The stalemate could end up with House and Senate contempt citations and a battle in federal court over separation of powers in the US government.

(China Daily via agencies June 29, 2007)