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Former DOJ Official Yoo Refuses to Testify

April 22, 2008 4:21 PM

Former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo, who wrote the controversial legal memos authorizing harsh interrogation programs, will not testify voluntarily before the House Judiciary Committee -- paving the way for a possible subpoena and showdown over Executive Privilege. Yoo's lawyer has just informed House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers that he would not appear.

In a letter, Yoo's lawyer told Conyers he was "not authorized" by DOJ to discuss internal deliberations.

"We have been expressly advised by the Office of Legal Counsel of the United States Department of Justice that Professor Yoo is not authorized to discuss before your Committee any specific deliberative communications, including the substance of comments on opinions or policy questions, or the confidential predecisional advice, recommendations or other positions taken by individuals or entities of the Executive Branch," Yoo's lawyer, John C. Millian, wrote in a letter to Conyers.

Millian also noted that Yoo was involved in a lawsuit over the legal memos and that it would "not be appropriate" for him to testify while the litigation was pending.

Conyers invited Yoo to testify before the committee May 6th about the memos. He told Yoo the committee was prepared to subpoena him if he declined to appear voluntarily. Today's letter -- and DOJ's position that Yoo was not authorized to answer Conyers' questions -- is likely to lead to that next step.

Yoo isn't the only administration official the Judiciary Committee is asking to testify. After ABC News reported that top administration officials approved specific details of harsh interrogations by the CIA, Conyers sent another round of letters.

"New and troubling allegations suggest that the decisions on torture came from the highest levels of government," Conyers said after the ABC report. "These reports, if true, represent a stain on our democracy. The American people deserve to hear directly from those involved."

Those invited include former Attorney General John Ashcroft, CIA Director George Tenet, former Assistant Attorney General Daniel Levin and former undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith, as well as Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff David Addington.

April 22, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (39)

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Waterboard him until he agrees to testify.

Posted by: Justinteim | Apr 22, 2008 5:19:31 PM

Department of Torture would be more like it really is.

Posted by: Crusher | Apr 22, 2008 5:24:56 PM

Yoo is despicable, as are all the others who took part in the injustice of the decisions made regarding the use of torture by the United States of America. All of his students at the University of California should walk out in protest. He should be put on a "Taxi to the Dark Side"! He is a WAR CRIMINAL!

Posted by: JOHNBCOPELAND | Apr 22, 2008 6:13:35 PM

John Yoo and his parents emigrated from South Korea!

Posted by: Tom | Apr 22, 2008 6:24:09 PM

Send him to Guantanamo for a few years, or better, rendition to Afghanistan. I wonder how he got hired at Boalt in the first place?

Posted by: Ralph Deeds | Apr 22, 2008 9:24:08 PM

NO problem...Just lock him up in an 8 x 10 foot cell with no windows and a solid steel door with the lights on 24/7/365 until he decides to talk.. After a month he will sing like a canary..You wont be able to shut him up.

Posted by: Pat M | Apr 22, 2008 9:40:10 PM

Grow up you left-wing psychopaths. Thanks to REAL men like this who had the guts to interrogate the "Mohammed's" of the world you can sleep peacefully in the sissy liberal beds. Liberals are idiots!

Posted by: Liberal hater | Apr 22, 2008 11:53:50 PM

liberal hater... the "Mohammed's" of the world?

thank you for clarifying your stance on human intelligence.

Posted by: toropkeh moonte eh | Apr 23, 2008 1:21:36 AM

ok..we are not NOT not a democracy..
Anyone who pulls this ORwellian bs
and can just refuse to show up..
like all of this evil administration's
evildoers...zero balance of power
among branches ZERO

Posted by: w | Apr 23, 2008 8:13:58 AM

Maybe the congress should waterboard HIM to get an idea what torture is and get the answers of who,what,why and when!

Posted by: Adriaan De Leeuw | Apr 23, 2008 8:44:50 AM

And the admnistration at UC-Berkley will not fire this guy. With the standards of Berkley, why any decent law school would try to attract from that school would be beyond me. If he teaches law like he practices it, well god help the law profession and the lawyers graduating from Berkley. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Posted by: Madprogressive | Apr 23, 2008 8:46:45 AM

"Grow up you left-wing psychopaths. Thanks to REAL men like this who had the guts to interrogate the "Mohammed's" of the world you can sleep peacefully in the sissy liberal beds. Liberals are idiots!"

you need to do a little more research on history. people like him are the reason they want to attack us in the first place. they would be over there, mostly minding their own business and trying to kill each other instead of us...if we hadn't butt our heads in decades ago and started fooling around with their governments to try to get cheaper oil, or greater control over the market. people like him are the reason your children are dying in the streets of a foreign country. and the reason that the nation you claim to love so much is now the laughingstock of the world community.

Posted by: ChibiOne | Apr 23, 2008 9:18:50 AM

not authorized? I'm not authorized to feel sorry for Yoo when he gets sent to jail for contempt of congress!

Posted by: Bob | Apr 23, 2008 9:46:26 AM

where was Professor Yoo and or his partents born?

Maybe, even hopefully, it was not America!

Posted by: me | Apr 23, 2008 12:33:42 PM

Torture the information out of him.

Posted by: Horst | Apr 23, 2008 1:21:50 PM

Liberal Hater:

Real men don't torture. It is cowards that resort to torture to feel safe because to a coward, everyone is dangerous.

By the military's own admission, greater than 90% of all muslims rounded up and thrown in prison in Iraq and elsewhere are innocent - simply people being in the wrong place at the wrong time when a neighborhood sweep is conducted. This is almost a direct quote from the Department of Defense.

Therefore, nine out of 10 people are innocent victims of imprisonment and torture, just so your miserable, cowardly self can feel safe.

Professor Yoo should be tried for treason - he contributed to and championed the perversion of American Values. If found guilty, he should be shot.

If you are unwilling to support and defend the constitution and the principles upon which this nation was founded, then get the hell out - we don't want you here.

Posted by: Horst | Apr 23, 2008 1:42:23 PM

Gee, I find it funny how Mr. Yoo has had no previous qualms about talking to any media source that approached him about the issue before. NOW all of a sudden he can't talk?

How convenient.

Posted by: dogjudge | Apr 23, 2008 2:46:13 PM

He should go hide under a rock and take those who wanted license to torture with him.

Posted by: Sara B. | Apr 23, 2008 2:55:33 PM

Of all the criminals who have perpetrated all of these crimes against humanity John Yoo must be brought to justice PERIOD.
Just a little note to abc news
. I really hope you become a real news outlet to the american people who deserve the real truth instead of arms dealers and thier "experts" who have no shame. PLEASE start asking some real questions. and if you dont have any feel free to drop me a e-mail I have plenty!

Posted by: The Big Raven | Apr 23, 2008 4:54:35 PM

Freedom is not FREE.

Posted by: Adel | Apr 23, 2008 5:02:26 PM

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