President Bush has directed former White House counsel Harriet Miers not to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday about the firing of nine U.S. attorneys.

The committee announced Tuesday that Miers had agreed to appear, but in a letter to the committee on Tuesday evening, her attorney, George Manning, said she had been directed not to appear. Manning attached a letter from White House counsel Fred Fielding stating that Miers has “absolute immunity from compelled congressional testimony” and “the President has directed her not to appear at the House Judiciary Committee hearing.

Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said the committee will meet without her, and her refusal to appear could subject her to contempt proceedings.

— Paul Singer