On Tuesday, the White House released a letter saying that it would not comply with the House’s impeachment inquiry. Withholding information from Congress is wrong and defying a subpoena is an impeachable offense, but you don’t have to take our word for it:
Jim Jordan said it’s wrong for a president of the United States to go on national television and say there’s no corruption in his administration, and that his friends shouldn’t be allowed to run the investigation.
Jim Jordan in 2014: “And the fact that the president of the United States, the highest official in the executive branch, goes on national television and says there’s no corruption, not even a smidgen, is wrong. The bad guy doesn’t get to have his friends run the investigation like we see here.”
Trump’s new impeachment lawyer Trey Gowdy previously said that it’s wrong to withhold information and documents from Congress.
Trey Gowdy in 2012: “The notion that you can withhold information and documents from Congress no matter whether you’re the party in power or not in power is wrong. Respect for the rule of law must mean something irrespective of the vicissitudes of political cycles.”
Trey Gowdy in 2014: “I don’t send invitations to cocktail parties. We’re going to send subpoenas and we’re going to expect her to comply. And if you don’t comply, she’ll suffer the same panoply consequences that any of your viewers who don’t comply with a subpoena would suffer.”
Trey Gowdy in 2014: “I want the subpoena complied with. I want it complied with in a timely fashion. And you and I both know that if there’s no 6103 material, whether or not you think we need something or we ought to have it, or that we’re on a wild goose chase, frankly, I could care less what you think about that. Our subpoena is our subpoena. If you don’t like it, move to quash it. Otherwise, comply with it.”
Lindsey Graham previously said that withholding information from Congress was an impeachable offense.
Lindsey Graham in 1998: “Congress was going through its oversight function to provide oversight of the president. When asked for information, Richard Nixon chose not to comply, and the Congress back in that time said, ‘You’re taking impeachment away from us. You’re becoming the judge and jury. It is not your job to tell us what we need, it is your job to comply with the things we need to provide oversight over you.’ The day Richard Nixon failed to answer that subpoena is the day that he was subject to impeachment, because he took the power from Congress over the impeachment process away from Congress, and he became the judge and jury.”
Mike Pompeo said that it’s “unacceptable” for a president to defy subpoenas and withhold information from Congress.
Mike Pompeo in 2014: “We now know that the president didn’t turn over all the documents in response to a congressional subpoena and that’s just unacceptable.”
Mike Pompeo in 2o14: “We need to make sure that this administration doesn’t cover up, doesn’t deny and doesn’t withhold.”