Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Connolly threatens to jail Trump officials who won't comply with subpoenas
Washington (CNN)A Democratic lawmaker on Thursday ratcheted up warnings to the Trump administration amid a growing standoff over subpoenas and oversight requests the White House says it will resist.
Rep. Gerry Connolly threatened jail time for White House officials who are declining to comply with congressional committees' efforts to conduct oversight of President Donald Trump's administration. It's the latest salvo in the escalating battle between the White House and congressional Democrats, who have scaled up their oversight requests following the conclusion of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
Connolly, who sits on the Oversight Committee, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room," "We're going to resist, and if a subpoena is issued and you're told you must testify, we will back that up."
"And we will use any and all power in our command to make sure it's backed up -- whether that's a contempt citation, whether that's going to court and getting that citation enforced, whether it's fines, whether it's possible incarceration," the Virginia Democrat added. "We will go to the max to enforce the constitutional role of the legislative branch of government."
Rep. Gerry Connolly threatened jail time for White House officials who are declining to comply with congressional committees' efforts to conduct oversight of President Donald Trump's administration. It's the latest salvo in the escalating battle between the White House and congressional Democrats, who have scaled up their oversight requests following the conclusion of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
Connolly, who sits on the Oversight Committee, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room," "We're going to resist, and if a subpoena is issued and you're told you must testify, we will back that up."
"And we will use any and all power in our command to make sure it's backed up -- whether that's a contempt citation, whether that's going to court and getting that citation enforced, whether it's fines, whether it's possible incarceration," the Virginia Democrat added. "We will go to the max to enforce the constitutional role of the legislative branch of government."
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/25/politics/gerry-connolly-subpoenas-white-house-cnntv/index.html
92 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
GO GET 'EM!!!
Can Congress Jail Witnesses Who Refuse to Cooperate?
By Tessa Berenson and Lily Rothman November 15, 2017
<...>
But, frequently, when the topic of contempt-of-Congress charges comes up, a far harsher possibility makes headlines: the Capitol jail. There is some real history backing up that threat — in that 1821 case, the Supreme Court stood behind Congress’ right to imprison people. But these days, it’s just as likely that the source for the idea is a bit of confusion.
The “Old Capitol Jail” was once a major Washington, D.C., landmark. Most famously, it was used to detain Confederate spies and soldiers during the Civil War era. As one James Joseph Williamson would later recount of his time imprisoned there, “Conditions in the Old Capitol differed in many respects from the prison camps. Prisoners in the Old Capitol were mostly civilians, except where soldiers (either prisoners of war or men charged with offenses), were brought in and kept until they could be sent to places designated; or prisoners from other prisons held over until they could be shipped South for exchange.” But that building doesn’t exist anymore, though its address is still important as the location of the Supreme Court building.
As the House of Representatives’ Office of the Historian has explained, most people in American history who have been held by the House over contempt charges (a very small number to begin with) have not been put in any specific “Capitol Jail.” Rather, they’ve just been put under lock and key within a spare room at the Capitol or even in a nearby hotel.
In a 2003 Senate oral history interview, longtime staffer Chuck Ludlam told the Senate Historical Office that — as part of the work he was doing to advocate for an idea to better enforce subpoenas — he had once spoken to the Architect of the Capitol about the matter, and was told that there was evidence that “several rooms” at the Capitol had been used to guard people at one point or another, but that it’s not clear that any of those rooms would have been only used for that purpose. And one of the rooms that’s most commonly mistaken for a jail at the Capitol (it’s in the basement and has bars) was in fact meant as a possible spot for George Washington’s tomb. But, just because there’s no physical jail doesn’t mean there’s no right for Congress to detain individuals — and in fact the Capitol Police do maintain a holding cell a few blocks away.
http://time.com/5023920/trump-russia-election-congress-capitol-jail/
By Tessa Berenson and Lily Rothman November 15, 2017
<...>
But, frequently, when the topic of contempt-of-Congress charges comes up, a far harsher possibility makes headlines: the Capitol jail. There is some real history backing up that threat — in that 1821 case, the Supreme Court stood behind Congress’ right to imprison people. But these days, it’s just as likely that the source for the idea is a bit of confusion.
The “Old Capitol Jail” was once a major Washington, D.C., landmark. Most famously, it was used to detain Confederate spies and soldiers during the Civil War era. As one James Joseph Williamson would later recount of his time imprisoned there, “Conditions in the Old Capitol differed in many respects from the prison camps. Prisoners in the Old Capitol were mostly civilians, except where soldiers (either prisoners of war or men charged with offenses), were brought in and kept until they could be sent to places designated; or prisoners from other prisons held over until they could be shipped South for exchange.” But that building doesn’t exist anymore, though its address is still important as the location of the Supreme Court building.
As the House of Representatives’ Office of the Historian has explained, most people in American history who have been held by the House over contempt charges (a very small number to begin with) have not been put in any specific “Capitol Jail.” Rather, they’ve just been put under lock and key within a spare room at the Capitol or even in a nearby hotel.
In a 2003 Senate oral history interview, longtime staffer Chuck Ludlam told the Senate Historical Office that — as part of the work he was doing to advocate for an idea to better enforce subpoenas — he had once spoken to the Architect of the Capitol about the matter, and was told that there was evidence that “several rooms” at the Capitol had been used to guard people at one point or another, but that it’s not clear that any of those rooms would have been only used for that purpose. And one of the rooms that’s most commonly mistaken for a jail at the Capitol (it’s in the basement and has bars) was in fact meant as a possible spot for George Washington’s tomb. But, just because there’s no physical jail doesn’t mean there’s no right for Congress to detain individuals — and in fact the Capitol Police do maintain a holding cell a few blocks away.
http://time.com/5023920/trump-russia-election-congress-capitol-jail/
Thanks!!
The problem is, even if they do comply with a subpoena, they will just plead the Fifth. 
Our Democratic lawmakers need to pull the purse strings very tightly on them. Dems do have that power and need to use whatever powers we do have, even jailing them and making them plead the Fifth.
Just do it.
… but I don't think there's much he can do... Congress can stop them from getting paid, but they are so wealthy, it won't matter much. The may be able to vote on condemnations. Trump and the gang will give no taxes, testimony, or anything they don't want to give. I would suggest calling witnesses that are agreeable and look for someone unhappy with the boss. The public needs to see real people talk under oath.
