Harriet Miers

Harriet Miers served as White House Counsel under George W. Bush from 2004 to 2007. In 2005, despite never having served as a judge, she was nominated by President George W. Bush to replace retiring Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sandra Day O'Connor. However, when conservative interest groups made their opposition to Ms. Miers clear, she was forced to withdraw her nomination. Bush went on to nominate Samuel Alito, a proven conservative, whose nomination succeeded. Shortly afterwards, Ms. Miers had refused to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, in response to a subpoena, because President Bush ordered her not to go. During that time, she risked the possibility of imprisonment, had the Senate Judiciary Committee send the Sergeant at Arms to arrest her.