Subject: White House, House Committee Close To Resolving Impasse Over Subpoened Documents

The White House and the House committee chaired by Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) have reached a tentative deal on which subpoenaed documents being withheld by the White House would be turned over to the committee, CNN has learned.

White House Counsel Charles Ruff faced a hearing on Wednesday prior to a vote on contempt of Congress after refusing to give the committee documents on, among others, fund-raiser John Huang and longtime Bill Clinton friend Webster Hubbell. He had cited a variety of privilege or confidentiality claims.

A Ruff subordinate, Lanny Brewer, has met with Burton's staff and CNN is told the tentative deal has been reached.

The details are not available. The actual bargain will not be final until it is approved by White House higher-ups and Burton and actually put in to writing.

But if the deal is consummated, it will mean Ruff will not have to appear and the contempt proceedings, of course, would not go forward.