WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 — J. Scott Jennings, a 29-year-old White House aide, refused repeatedly on Thursday to answer questions before the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying he was under orders from President Bush not to respond.
“I must respectfully decline to respond at this time,” Mr. Jennings said about a dozen times to questions about the White House’s role in the dismissals of federal prosecutors. Each time Mr. Jennings was asked about the removals, he looked at a sheet of paper and said in a rote manner that he could not reply, “pursuant to President Bush’s directive invoking executive privilege.”
His appearance before the committee was the latest act in the ripening showdown between the White House and Congressional Democrats over the issue of executive privilege.
Mr. Jennings’s explanation was treated scornfully by the committee’s Democrats, who said they did not accept Mr. Bush’s assertion that he has the authority to prevent former and present officials from testifying to Congress.
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