DOJ agrees to work with Democrats if House pulls Barr contempt vote

[babylonsister]

Blackmail? Extortion?

https://www.axios.com/justice-department-house-judiciary-bill-barr-contempt-5cb9bbf8-3679-4c4e-9e86-adfe999c711f.html

Zachary Basu
2 hours ago
DOJ agrees to work with Democrats if House pulls Barr contempt vote


The Justice Department has sent a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) informing him that it would be willing to resume negotiations on the committee's subpoena for the full, unredacted Mueller report if the House removes its threat to hold Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt next week.

Details: DOJ claims that Nadler sent a letter on May 24 recognizing that the committee's subpoena is "unworkably broad" and offering for the first time "to narrow the subpoena's scope to cover a much more limited set of documents." In light of this offer, DOJ asserts that it would "hardly make sense" to hold Barr in contempt for not complying with the original subpoena and asks the House Judiciary Committee to withdraw its previous contempt citation so that the two sides can negotiate an accommodation.

Context: The House Judiciary Committee voted last month to hold Barr in contempt for refusing to comply with a subpoena demanding the release of the full Mueller report and its underlying materials. On Monday, Democrats announced that a contempt resolution for Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn would be brought to the full House floor for a vote.

The new letter from DOJ notes that the department recently negotiated a similar accommodation with the House Intelligence Committee, which had also threatened to hold Barr in contempt.

"The only reason we were not able to engage in a similar accommodation with the Judiciary Committee is that you insisted on taking the unnecessary step of holding a contempt vote less than three weeks before issuing the subpoena, at a time when negotiations were ongoing," DOJ writes.

Why it matters: Much has been made about the potency of contempt citations and whether they would actually have any effect in changing the Trump administration's pattern of stonewalling. Yet his letter marks the second time that the Justice Department has agreed to reopen subpoena negotiations to avoid the threat of contempt.

Democrats pulling Monday's contempt vote would mark a significant de-escalation in tensions with the Justice Department. Chairman Nadler has previously been unwilling to bend to many of the department's demands.

Read the full letter @ link

[gratuitous]

1. The only proper response

"Let's see the full Mueller report, then we'll talk about just how guilty the AG might be.

[charlyvi]

2. Don't do it!

You've negotiated enough. That's why a subpoena was issued. Rep. Nadler, your committee has a lawful right to see the Special Counsel's report UNREDACTED. Negotiate hell, hold him in contempt.

[Owl]

3. Just say no. Please!

[Kurt V.]

4. i completely trust them. HA!

[Thomas Hurt]

5. LOL, sure, they pull the contempt and Barr is back at giving the House the finger.

[shanti]

6. Hell, no, don't do it, Nadler!

Barr NEEDS to be held in contempt, and he is afraid of it.

[Gothmog]

7. House Majority Leader rejects DOJ's offer of documents in return for stopping Barr contempt vote

Link to tweet

[yonder]

8. Smoke and mirrors with an extra lump of stonewalling sounds like to me.

HJC needs to take control of this in a dominant fashion. I don't think accommodation is the way to do it.

[trof]

9. Good night! DOJ is BARGAINING to keep the AG from being held in contempt?

My, my...how things have changed.

[keithbvadu2]

10. "work with / resume negotiations" - vague promises, not very promising.

"work with / resume negotiations" - vague promises, not very promising.