Martha Stewart’s Broker Subpoenaed

The House panel probing Martha Stewart’s sale of ImClone Systems Inc. stock has issued a subpoena for her broker’s home and cell phone records from last December.

The broker, Peter Bacanovic, was placed on leave last month by Merrill Lynch & Co.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is investigating whether Stewart had inside information when she sold her ImClone shares a day before federal regulators said they would not review the company’s cancer drug Erbitux. Stewart repeatedly has said her sale was lawful and based on public information.

“We gave [Bacanovic] every opportunity to provide these records voluntarily, but we continue to get the runaround from his attorneys,” said Ken Johnson, spokesman for Committee Chairman W.J. “Billy” Tauzin (R-La).

Richard Strassberg, an attorney for Bacanovic, declined to comment.