U.S. House Democrats threatened on Thursday to hold Attorney General William Barr in "contempt of Congress" for not complying with a subpoena to hand over an unredacted version of the Mueller report. The contempt citation is a key part of that congressional clout. President Donald Trump,
1 / 2FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol is shown after the U.S. government reopened following 35-day shutdown in WashingtonFILE PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol is shown after the U.S. government reopened with about 800,000 federal workers returning after a 35-day shutdown in Washington, U.S., January 28, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File PhotoBy Jan Wolfe
President Donald Trump, with Barr's assistance, is stonewalling several inquiries being led by Democrats in the House of Representatives into his administration, his family and his personal business interests. The Supreme Court has recognized Congress's power to issue subpoenas, saying in order to write laws it also needs to be able to investigate.
Typically, the members of the congressional committee that issued the subpoena will vote on whether to move forward with a contempt finding. If a majority supports the resolution, then another vote will be held by the entire chamber.Only a majority of the 435-member House needs to support a contempt finding for one to be reached. After a contempt vote, Congress has powers to enforce a subpoena.
Alternatively, Congress can ask the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a federal prosecutor, to bring criminal charges against a witness who refuses to appear. There is a criminal law that specifically prohibits flouting a congressional subpoena.
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