Facing Subpoenas, Trump Allies Try to Run Out the Clock on Democrats

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON — On Tuesday night, as the House prepared to hold Donald J. Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows in criminal contempt of Congress, a federal judge ruled that the Treasury Department could provide the former president’s tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee.

It was a sign of progress for Democrats, for sure, but Mr. Meadows could find comfort in the fact that the ruling took nearly two and a half years. And even then, Judge Trevor McFadden of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia stayed his own judgment for 10 days to give the Trump camp time to file yet another appeal.

The twisting saga of that case — with dozens of motions, hearings, lawyer changes and rulings — gives an indication of how House subpoenas of Mr. Trump’s aides and allies might go as they try to run out the clock on the current Congress and hope for Republican control in 2023, when new House leaders would simply drop the inquiries. The House’s inquiry into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, a select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic and the Ways and Means Committee are all counting on the courts to deliver accountability.

Mr. Trump’s allies — Mr. Meadows, Stephen K. Bannon, Peter Navarro and others — and Mr. Trump himself have perhaps a more realistic expectation: that the slowly turning wheels of justice will deliver nothing of the sort.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/facing-subpoenas-trump-allies-try-to-run-out-the-clock-on-democrats/ar-AARRZOL

[nykym]

1. President Biden

needs to empower a special prosecutor to pick up the slack.

[LenaBaby61]

2. He probably won't do that, because he said he wasn't going to get involved, etc.

[nykym]

3. He may need to

if the rethugs take back the house.

[karynnj]

4. As to running out the clock, that relates just to appearing before the committee

What is clear is that the committee is putting together a report that will have a huge amount of detail. Even if the Republicans (worst case) win back the Congress, DOJ will still be Biden's DOJ until 2025 (or longer) Ultimately depending on what happens and how the report is used - it will either be the basis for many people being charged or, sadly, the most detailed account of how the US lost its democracy.

It is possible that the DOJ may take the completed report and add any investigations of their own and charge these people. Then the only time line hope they would have is that Trump (or an ally) wins in 2024 and pardons all of them.