Congress wins battle for Trump aide’s testimony, but a broader war over subpoena power goes on

Washington Post logo

Former White House counsel Donald McGahn’s interview with congressional investigators Friday will close one lingering chapter of House Democrats’crusade to hold the Trump administration to account — but is likely to leave uncertainty in its wake about what will happen in lawmakers’ next test of wills with the White House.

McGahn, considered a star witness in former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, flouted a congressional subpoena for two years and is not expected to offer any bombshell revelations about former president Donald Trump — beyond those he already provided to Mueller — when he meets with the House Judiciary Committee behind closed doors.

Instead, the appearance is Democrats’ way of demonstrating that congressionalsubpoenas must be obeyed — an argument they offered throughout a lengthy legal battle that seemed destined to reach the Supreme Court before a deal with the Biden administration ended the fight in what may prove to be a political win, but at best is a constitutional draw. Continue reading.