Tag: U.S. House Judiciary Committee

Congressional Democrats plan to launch inquiry into Trump’s alleged role in scheme to silence affair accusations

Washington Post logoHouse Democrats plan to make President Trump’s alleged involvement in a 2016 scheme to silence two women who claimed they had affairs with him a major investigative focus this fall, picking up where federal prosecutors left off in a case legal experts say could have led to additional indictments.

The House Judiciary Committee is preparing to hold hearings and call witnesses involved in hush-money payments to ex-
Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult-film star Stormy Daniels as soon as October, according to people familiar with the plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions.

Democrats say they believe there is already enough evidence to name Trump as a co-conspirator in the episode that resulted in his former attorney, Michael Cohen, pleading guilty to two campaign finance charges.

View the complete September 2 article by Rachael Bade and Tom Hamburger on The Washington Post website here.

Democrats blast Barr for missing hearing

House Democrats blasted Attorney General William Barr for refusing to appear at their hearing on Thursday — a day after much of the nation was transfixed on his testimony to the Senate on his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller‘s report.

Barr skipped the House Judiciary Committee hearing because he objected to Democratic demands that their staff counsel be able to question him.

Democrats went forward with the theater of the hearing anyway, setting up an empty chair for the absent attorney general. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) brought a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken to the morning event, and accused Barr of being a coward after it ended.

View the complete May 2 article by Morgan Chalfant and Olivia Beavers on The Hill website here.

Barr, Dems fail to reach deal on House testimony

Attorney General William Barr is refusing to testify before the House on Thursday, arguing Democrats have put “unprecedented” conditions on his testimony.
The fight sets up a major clash between Barr and Democrats in control of the House Judiciary Committee, who have threatened to subpoena the attorney general to compel his testimony.
It also comes as tensions rise over Barr because of Robert Mueller‘s written criticisms of how the attorney general handled the special counsel’s report on his nearly two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential obstruction of justice.

View the complete May 1 article by Olivia Beavers and Morgan Chalfant on The Hill website here.

Judiciary Committee Launches Probe Of Trump’s ‘Emergency’

That was fast.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY), announced that they’re launching an “immediate investigation” into the national emergency declaration Trump made on Friday, which was intended to allow him to go over Congress’ head and raid money from other areas of the federal government to fund his needless border wall.

“We believe your declaration of an emergency shows a reckless disregard for the separation of powers and your own responsibilities under our constitutional system,” Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee wrote in a letter to Trump on Friday afternoon.

View the complete February 16 article by Emily Singer with The American Independent on the National Memo web site here.

Whitaker says he won’t testify unless Dems withdraw subpoena threat

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is threatening to not testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Friday after Democrats on the panel voted to authorize the use of a subpoena against him if he did not attend or refused to answer certain questions.

Whitaker said in a statement Thursday that the Democratic-led panel “has deviated from historic practice and protocol and taken the unnecessary and premature step of authorizing a subpoena to the me [sic], the acting attorney general, even though I had agreed to voluntarily appear.”

“Such unprecedented action breaches our prior agreement and circumvents the constitutionally required accommodation process. Based upon today’s action, it is apparent that the Committee’s true intention is not to discuss the great work of the Department of Justice, but to create a public spectacle. Political theater is not the purpose of an oversight hearing, and I will not allow that to be the case,” he said.

View the complete February 7 article by Olivia Beaver on The Hill website here.