WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- Karl Rove , President Bush 's longtime political guru , refused to obey an order to testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday . Karl Rove 's lawyers says he is immune from a congressional subpoena . Rove 's lawyer asserted that Rove was `` immune '' from the subpoena the committee had issued , arguing that the committee could not compel him to testify due to `` executive privilege . '' The panel is investigating allegations that Rove and his White House allies dismissed U.S. attorneys and prosecuted officials who they saw as political opponents . The panel subpoenaed Rove in May after his lawyer , Robert D. Luskin , made clear the former White House deputy chief of staff would not appear voluntarily . Luskin responded immediately that Rove still would not appear , prompting a threat of prosecution from the Judiciary Committee chairman , Rep. John Conyers , a Michigan Democrat , and Rep. Linda Sanchez , a California Democrat who chairs the subcommittee on commercial and administrative law . `` A refusal to appear in violation of the subpoena could subject Mr. Rove to contempt proceedings , including statutory contempt under federal law and proceedings under the inherent contempt authority of the House of Representatives , '' Conyers and Sanchez wrote . `` We are unaware of any proper legal basis for Mr. Rove 's refusal to even appear today as required by the subpoena , '' Sanchez said Thursday morning when Rove failed to show up . `` The courts have made clear that no one -- not even the president -- is immune from compulsory process . That is what the Supreme Court rules in U.S. v. Nixon and Clinton v . Jones . '' In May , Conyers contrasted Rove 's refusal to testify before Congress with his paid work as a commentator for the Fox News Channel and Newsweek magazine . `` Although he does not seem the least bit hesitant to discuss these very issues weekly on cable television and in the print news media , Mr. Rove and his attorney have apparently concluded that a public hearing room would not be appropriate . Unfortunately , I have no choice today but to compel his testimony on these very important matters . '' Rove 's lawyer cited a letter from the Justice Department saying Rove is `` constitutionally immune from compelled congressional testimony . '' He said Rove is willing to submit to an `` informal interview '' or to answer written questions about the prosecution of former Alabama Gov . Don Siegelman , whose ouster Rove is accused of orchestrating . `` Threatening Mr. Rove with sanctions will not in any way expedite the resolution of the issue , '' Luskin wrote in a letter to the panel on Wednesday . Luskin noted in May that his client had already received a separate subpoena from the Senate Judiciary Committee . `` While the [ House ] committee has the authority to issue a subpoena , it is hard to see what this will accomplish , apart from a 'Groundhog Day ' replay of the same issues that are already the subject of litigation , '' the lawyer wrote , referring to a movie in which a person lives the same day over and over again . Luskin added that `` issues of executive privilege and separation of powers '' could limit Rove 's testimony . In response , Conyers said the two committees are focusing on different matters , with the House committee delving into the prosecution of the former Alabama governor , a Democrat who lost his bid for re-election in 2002 and was convicted on corruption charges in 2006 . Conyers also noted that other former White House officials have testified under subpoena in the past and have dealt with issues of executive privilege on a case-by-case basis . `` Mr. Rove should follow the same course , '' he said . Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas , the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee , called the subpoena `` a sham . '' The Democratic-controlled Congress has been battling for months to force the White House to disclose information about the firing of the attorneys and the prosecution of Siegelman . Current and former White House aides have refused to testify , citing executive privilege .
Karl Rove ordered to testify before the House Judiciary Committee . Rove 's lawyers say `` executive privilege '' makes him `` immune '' from subpoena . Panel is investigating whether Rove was involved in firing of U.S. attorneys .