The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives education committee has asked the White House and the Education Department to hand over e-mail messages and other communications related to their oversight of the federal student-loan and Reading First programs.

In letters sent today to the White House counsel, Fred Fielding, and to the secretary of education, Margaret Spellings, the congressman, Rep. George Miller, requested details of all senior-level communications “regarding the unethical practices among student lenders and schools and the design and implementation of the Reading First program” since January 20, 2001, the day President Bush was inaugurated for his first term.

“For several years, the administration has been aware of the unethical practices among lenders and schools participating in the federal student-loan programs, yet has yet to act to protect the integrity of the $85-billion-a-year program,” wrote Mr. Miller, a California Democrat.

Representative Miller led a hearing into Reading First two weeks ago at which he described conflicts of interest in the program as “close to a criminal enterprise.” Last week he held a hearing into the college-lender controversy at which he said Ms. Spellings had “defaulted on her responsibilities to protect the interests of students and families.”

Ms. Spellings, who is to testify before Mr. Miller’s committee next week, has denied his accusations. —Kelly Field