House Democrats Subpoena a Who's Who of Mueller Witnesses

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: New York Times




WASHINGTON -- The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved a dozen new subpoenas targeting a who's who of witnesses cited in Robert S. Mueller III's report as Democrats sought to elevate their showdown with President Trump over episodes of possible obstruction of justice documented by the special counsel. The panel also approved a separate group of subpoenas seeking information about the Trump administration's practice of separating children from their families at the border. And House Democratic leaders set Tuesday for a full House vote to hold Attorney General William P. Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt of Congress over their refusal to relinquish documents related to the administration's efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

"The House will not shirk from its oversight of this administration and its malign effort to silence the voices of millions in our democracy," said Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader, referring to fears that a citizenship question would dissuade immigrants from answering the census.

Among the prominent figures to be subpoenaed by the Democrats are Jeff Sessions, the former attorney general; Rod J. Rosenstein, his deputy who appointed Mr. Mueller, the special counsel; John F. Kelly, the former White House chief of staff; Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser; and Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump campaign manager. Democrats also authorized a subpoena for David J. Pecker, who as head of American Media helped Mr. Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign buy the silence of a pornographic film actress and a former Playboy model, both of whom claimed to have had sexual relationships with him.

Despite rancorous Republican opposition, Democrats who control the committee were able to push the subpoena authorizations through along party lines -- promising to jump-start two of their highest-priority oversight investigations of Mr. Trump and his presidency. The first is an inquiry into whether Mr. Trump's attempts to impede federal investigators studying his campaign's ties to Russia constituted obstruction of justice or an abuse of power. "The committee on the judiciary has a constitutional obligation to investigate credible allegations of misconduct," Representative Jerrold Nadler, the chairman of the committee, said as he opened the hearing. "There is no substitute for primary evidence as the committee makes its decisions."

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/us/politics/mueller-subpoena.html

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House panel votes to subpoena Kushner, former attorney general Sessions in investigation of whether Trump obstructed justice https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-panel-poised-to-subpoena-kushner-sessions-and-10-others-with-ties-to-trump/2019/07/11/01585dc2-a3cf-11e9-b8c8-75dae2607e60_story.html …
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12:49 PM - Jul 11, 2019

[Mike Nelson]

1. I'm guessing...

… most of them will ignore the subpoenas.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. It doesn't matter

Their "ignoring" them will be more fuel for the fire on the Committee's side when it hits the courts. But if the subpoenas were NOT issued in advance and they went directly to court, the court will ask WHY subpoenas weren't issued and would send them back to go ahead and issue them FIRST.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Yes, we are in a crisis.

Will the Courts enforce the subpoenas? If they do, will the people obey them? If they obey them, will they plead the Fifth?

This is now a skirmish for dictatorship. The Declaration of Independence was regarded by some in the Continental Congress as a "skiff made of paper" which is to say without the force to back up laws, governments are nothing. We are closer than ever to being in a meltdown.

Most useful is to study what happened in history when institutions crumbled, for whatever reason. Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror" was about the fallout from the Black Plague. Cromwell's Protectorate was a bit of a meltup. Soviet seizure of power in war-torn Russia was a political coup amidst societal chaos. All have clues as to how to read disorder, if you can figure out what's going on. Upholding the old order doesn't often work during crises. But the current situation is political, law and order. We have no chaos, economic strife, or war, and expect none of those happenstances. Yet we still live in uncertain times.

[mpcamb]

12. ... most of them will ignore the subpoenas.

You wanna make democracy work?

You BETTER make subpoenas work!

[onecaliberal]

2. This is the first step. What will the committee be willing to do to compel witness to appear

Before them? Until/unless they become willing to round these people up and jail them for failing to appear it’s more pointless window dressing.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. There is no good Congressional mechanism to do that

unless and until they go for "inherent contempt". Even if they file a civil case for refusal to honor the subpoena, the witnesses can whine about "privilege" and other things.

In "normal" times, DOJ would determine "criminal" conduct of defying subpoenas and would be authorized to "round these people up and jail them". But we know that won't ever happen under this DOJ.

Here is a good summary of the options - https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-houses-contempt-powers-explained

[sandensea]

6. But will any of these miscreants comply?

[matt819]

7. All of whom

will either ignore the subpoenas or fail to answer, or answer truthfully, all questions put to them.

And the Dems will wag their fingers and do absolutely nothing.

[Politicub]

8. "Dems... do absolutely nothing" is untrue and here's why.

They are going through legal processes to enforce subpoenas:

House Democrats will vote next week on criminal contempt charges against Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena over the 2020 census, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/11/william-barr-wilbur-ross-criminal-contempt-1407410

The Democratic Party follows and respects the rule of law. We are better than the GOP and still believe in our country.

There are more than 20 congressional investigations into criminal activity by this administration and the Trump family. Also, don't forget, Mueller is scheduled to testify next week.

I know it is hard to be patient. I try to remember that the wheels of justice are turning and an airtight legal case is being built. At the same time, the democrats are working to sway public opinion. It will take both to take on this administration.

[matt819]

9. We'll see. (Nt)

[durablend]

11. So in other words

If Barr refuses to comply, Democrats are going to have Barr arrest himself for contempt?

Yeah I don't see that happening....

[displacedtexan]

13. Like the last time, a DC grand jury indicts & a DC federal judge presides.

WASHINGTON, March 1, 1974—A Federal grand jury today indicted seven men, all former officials of President Nixon's Administration or of his 1972 reelection campaign, on charges of covering up the Watergate scandal.

Never before have so many close and trusted advisers of an American President faced criminal accusations in a single indictment.

All were charged with conspiracy — a conspiracy, the Igrand jury said, that continued “up to and including” today six were charged additionally with obstruction of justice; two with perjury and three with false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the grand jury or both.

With the indictment, the grand jury handed to Chief Judge John J. Sirica of the Federal District Court here a sealed report, accompanied by a bulky briefcase reportedly containing information about Mr. Nixon's role in the Watergate affair.

This information was presumably intended for the House Judiciary Committee, which is considering a motion to impeach the President and put him on trial before the Senate.

The defendants and the charges against them are as follows:

John N. Mitchell, former Attorney General and director of Mr. Nixon's 1968 and 1972 Presidential campaigns—conspiracy, obstruction of justice, false statements to the F.B.I., false statements to the grand jury and perjury.

https://www.nytimes.com/1974/03/02/archives/federal-grand-jury-indicts-7-nixon-aides-on-charges-of-conspiracy.html

[Vinca]

10. Oh good. More subpoenas that will be ignored.

It's time to head to court to enforce these things. In fact, it's long overdue.

[woodsprite]

14. None of which will show up. If they actually do appear, they'll refuse to answer any questions.

And nothing will be done about it.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat......

Keeping the powder far from the wash cycle so it stays dry.

[machoneman]

15. Yes, nothing will happen UNTIL we win control. Then, we need to quickly pass laws or even EO's that

criminalize refusals to Congressional committee subpoenas and get the power to actually jail those who don't appear and/or refuse to answer questions. Only then (after the 2020 election, sorry!) will the power of a legitimately issued House or Senate subpoena to appear be enforceable.