The president’s comments came as White House indicated it would broadly defy requests for information from the House, moving the two branches of government closer to a constitutional collision.
By Robert Costa , Robert Costa National political reporter covering the White House, Congress and campaigns Email Bio Follow Tom Hamburger , Tom Hamburger Investigative reporter focused on the intersection of money and politics in Washington Email Bio Follow Josh Dawsey and Josh Dawsey Reporter covering the White House Email Bio Follow Rosalind S. Helderman Rosalind S.
On Tuesday, two White House officials said the administration plans to fight a subpoena issued by the House Judiciary Committee for former White House counsel Donald McGahn by asserting executive privilege over his testimony. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday the findings of the Mueller report, the investigations by congressional committees and the White House response had created a pivotal “moment in our history.”
“I don’t want people testifying to a party, because that is what they’re doing if they do this,” Trump said. Legal experts said that a White House effort to assert executive privilege over possible testimony by McGahn and other former and current aides who spoke to the special counsel will face legal challenges.
McGahn was mentioned more than 150 times in Mueller’s report and told investigators about how the president pressured him to oust the special counsel and then pushed him to publicly deny the episode. “He’s not eager to testify. He’s not reluctant. He got a subpoena. It compels him to testify. But there are some countervailing legal reasons that might prevent that,” said one person close to McGahn, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private discussions. “He doesn’t want to be in contempt of Congress, nor does he want to be in contempt of his ethical obligations and legal obligations as a former White House official.
Newbold, who processed security clearances under Kline at the White House for the first two years of the administration, told the panel that more than two dozen recommended denials for security clearances had been overturned during the Trump administration. She said that Congress was her “last hope” for addressing what she considered to be improper conduct that left the nation’s secrets exposed.
In a separate letter Monday, Kline’s attorney, Robert Driscoll, told the panel that his client would adhere to the White House recommendation. On Tuesday, Driscoll said that he and his client “take seriously” both the committee’s concerns and the direction of the White House.House Democratic legal advisers have been poring over past congressional subpoena litigation as a guide as they map out a strategy to enforce a contempt citation without the backing of the Justice Department.A similar dynamic played out during the Obama administration, when then-Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
White House ordered Trump administration officials to boycott WHCA DinnerWhite House orders Trump administration officials to boycott Saturday's White House Correspondents' Association dinner
Read more »
House Democrats could hold former White House official in contempt of CongressHouse Oversight chair threatens to hold Trump administration official in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena—the first move of its kind from the Democrat-led House.
Read more »
White House misses deadline to turn over Trump taxes to CongressThe White House missed a deadline to turn over President Donald Trump’s tax returns to a House committee, in what could lead to a court fight for the papers.
Read more »
White House ex-security director to ignore Congress' subpoena: reportA former White House security director on Tuesday plans to ignore a congressional subpoena to answer U.S. lawmakers' questions about allegations that the Trump administration overruled career officials' security clearance decisions, the Washington Post reported. Carl Kline, who served as the
Read more »
Rep. Matt Gaetz hires ex-White House aide ousted for white nationalist tiesRep. Matt Gaetz has hired an ex-White House speechwriter who was forced out last year amid scrutiny over his ties to white nationalists
Read more »
Matt Gaetz Hires Speechwriter Fired From White House Over White Nationalist ConferenceZach GibsonOne of President Donald Trump’s top congressional allies announced on Friday that he’d hired a speechwriter who left the White House last year after it was reported he’d spoken at a conference attended by white nationalists.Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tweeted that he had brought on board “the talented
Read more »
Trump blames McGahn after Mueller paints damning portrait with notes from White House aidesThe president, long suspicious of paper trails, seethes that contemporaneous memos by aides become primary source material for special counsel’s report.
Read more »
Trump sought to obstruct Mueller — but White House aides wouldn't do it, report findsBut when faced with Trump’s demands that they protect him and shut down the Russia probe, the president’s minions repeatedly disobeyed him, the report states.
Read more »
Mueller report shatters Trump aides’ claims of harmonious White HouseWhen ousted FBI Director James Comey delivered damaging testimony to Congress in 2017, White House aides insisted that Donald Trump’s mood was “light”
Read more »