Tag: U.S. House

Mueller and House Democrats at impasse over how much of his testimony would be public Add to list

Robert S. Mueller III and House Democrats have been unable to reach an agreement on how much of the special counsel’s expected congressional testimony would be public, and how much would take place in private, according to people familiar with the matter.

The special counsel’s office, along with senior Justice Department officials, has been quietly negotiating with the House Judiciary Committee, whose chairman, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), has been eager to have Mueller testify as soon as possible.

Who is driving the dispute is a source of debate. Two people familiar with the matter said the Justice Department is deferring to Mueller, who would like for any discussions beyond the public contents of his report to be conducted in private. But another person said it is primarily the department, rather than Mueller himself, resisting a nationally televised hearing.

View the complete May 21 article by Devlin Barrett, Ellen Nakashima, Rachael Bade and Matt Zapotosky on The Washington Post website here.

A Don McGahn no-show could be turning point on impeachment

Members of leadership starting to speak more directly of proceedings

Rep. David Cicilline, a member of House Democratic leadership who serves on the Judiciary Committee, said that if former White House counsel Don McGahn does not testify Tuesday, the panel should open an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.

And the Rhode Island Democrat, who cited “a pattern from the White House to impede our investigation,” is not alone in the leadership ranks.

“This is a cover-up by the White House, and there comes a point where we have to stand up for the rule of law,” Cicilline said Monday. “It is not just about this president. It is about future presidents. It’s about the message it sends about our respect for the Constitution and for the rule of law. And if this pattern by the president continues, where he’s going to impede and prevent and undermine our ability to gather evidence to do our job, we’re going to be left with no choice.”

View the complete May 20 article by Lindsey McPherson on The Roll Call website here.

Judge sides with Congress in subpoena fight over Trump records

A federal district court judge in Washington sided Monday with Congress in President Donald Trump’s lawsuit to block lawmakers from getting eight years of his financial records from an accounting firm.

The 41-page ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta in favor of the House Oversight and Reform Committee was not unexpected, and his ruling describes sweeping congressional power to subpoena records for what appears on its face to be a valid legislative purpose.

Trump’s lawyers are expected to appeal the ruling and extend the case.

View the complete May 20 article y Todd Ruger on The Roll Call website here.

Mueller mystery: Will he ever testify to Congress?

Democrats are trying to solve a mystery in Washington: Will Robert Mueller ever testify before Congress?

Weeks ago, it seemed all but certain that the special counsel would head to Capitol Hill in May to answer questions about his eponymous 448-page report on Russia’s election interference and potential obstruction of justice by President Trump.

Now, some frustrated Democrats say his testimony could slip into June, while others are beginning to doubt he’ll ever show, saying Mueller has no desire to become a political pawn in an ugly, partisan fight that’s become a proxy battle for the 2020 presidential race. 

View the complete May 18 article by Scott Wong and Morgan Chalfant on The Hill website here.

House claims broad power in legal fight over Trump records

An attorney for the House described a sweeping congressional power to subpoena information Tuesday during a court hearing in Washington, as a federal judge appeared unlikely to block lawmakers from getting eight years of President Donald Trump’s financial records from an accounting firm.

The hearing was the first showdown over Trump’s efforts to stonewall investigations by House Democrats, including his lawsuit that argues the House Oversight and Reform Committee lacks a legitimate legislative purpose to force Mazars USA to turn over records.

The arguments made clear that the legal fight will continue to higher courts, no matter how U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta rules.

View the complete May 14 article by Todd Ruger on The Roll Call website here.

After McGahn misses first subpoena deadline, Nadler warns of contempt if he misses second

Former White House counsel declines to turn over documents, but committee expects him to testify

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said Tuesday that his panel will hold former White House counsel Donald McGahn in contempt of Congress if he does not comply with a subpoena to appear before the committee on May 21.

The threat, which the New York Democrat issued in a letter sent to McGahn’s lawyer William A. Burck, comes as McGahn missed the first of two deadlines the committee gave him in the subpoena. McGahn had to turn over by Tuesday documents related to instances chronicled in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report in which President Donald Trump may have obstructed justice.

McGahn, who did not turn over the documents because the White House asserts it has legal custody them, faces a second deadline two weeks from now, when the Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed him to testify about the alleged obstruction of justice.

View the complete May 7 article by Lindsey McPherson on The Roll Call website here.

Dems want Justice IG to investigate Barr

Democrats are trying to convince the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate Attorney General William Barr in the wake of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.

Senate Democrats realize they have almost no shot at convincing the Republican majority to dig into Barr’s actions since the Russia investigation wrapped up in March, and little leverage to force GOP senators, who are eager to move on, to the negotiating table.

Instead, they’re focusing their efforts on winning over the Justice Department’s top watchdog, putting the inspector general in the middle of a fight between Senate Democrats and Barr.

View the complete May 7 article by Jordain Carney on The Hill website here.

White House orders McGahn to defy House subpoena

The White House has ordered former White House counsel Don McGahn not to turn over documents to Congress because President Trump may exert executive privilege to block their release.

Pat Cipollone, the current top White House lawyer, wrote a letter on Tuesday asking the House Judiciary Committee to go through the White House to request documents related to special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

“The White House provided these records to Mr. McGahn in connection with its cooperation with the special counsel’s investigation and with the clear understanding that the records remain subject to the control of the White House for all purposes,” Cipollone wrote to Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Judiciary panel.

View the complete May 7 article by Jordan Fabian and Brett Samuels on The Hill website here.

Pelosi: ‘Trump is goading us to impeach him’

‘Every single day he’s just like taunting, taunting, taunting,’ she said at an event

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is trying to bait Democrats into starting impeachment proceedings against him but cautioned that her caucus will only be led to that process by the facts.

“Trump is goading us to impeach him,” the California Democrat said during an event in New York City hosted by the Cornell University Institute of Politics and Global Affairs.

“That’s what he’s doing,” she said. “Every single day he’s just like taunting, taunting, taunting because he knows that it would be very divisive in the country, but he doesn’t really care. He just wants to solidify his base.”

View the complete May 7 article by Lindsey McPherson on The Roll Call website here.

In reversal, Trump says Mueller ‘should not testify’ before Congress

President Trump said Sunday that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III should not testify before Congress, reversing course from his previous position that the decision is up to Attorney General William P. Barr.

“Bob Mueller should not testify,” Trump said in an afternoon tweet. “No redos for the Dems!”

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

 · 

After spending more than $35,000,000 over a two year period, interviewing 500 people, using 18 Trump Hating Angry Democrats & 49 FBI Agents – all culminating in a more than 400 page Report showing NO COLLUSION – why would the Democrats in Congress now need Robert Mueller…….

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

….to testify. Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!

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Trump also insisted that Mueller’s 448-page report found “no collusion” and “no obstruction,” overstating the conclusions of the nearly two-year investigation. A redacted version of the document has been released; congressional Democrats are battling with Barr to get the full report.

In the report, Mueller’s team wrote that while the investigation established that the Trump campaign “expected it would benefit electorally from” information stolen in Russia-backed efforts, it “did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.”

View the complete May 5 article by Felicia Sonmez on The Washington Post website here.