House Democrats: We're Subpoenaing the White House

Will request 13 separate batches of documents related to Trump's Ukraine phone call
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 2, 2019 10:35 AM CDT
House Democrats: We're Subpoenaing the White House
The White House is seen in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, as House Democrats move aggressively in their impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House Democrats pursuing an impeachment inquiry of President Trump say they'll subpoena the White House on Friday for documents related to his dealings with Ukraine, citing "flagrant disregard" of their previous requests for information. House Oversight and Reform Chairman Elijah Cummings wrote in a memo to committee members Wednesday that the action is necessary because the White House has ignored multiple requests, reports the AP. Given the "stark and urgent warnings" the inspector general for the intelligence community has delivered to Congress, Cummings said, the panel has "no choice but to issue this subpoena." More:

  • House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff appeared at a presser with Nancy Pelosi where he provided an update on the impeachment inquiry. He expressed "[deep] concern" about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's "effort to potentially interfere with witnesses" who are set to appear before House committees, per the Guardian
  • Schiff said he wanted to make it "abundantly clear" that any effort by Pompeo, President Trump, or anyone else to interfere "will be considered as evidence of obstruction" and that any effort to block witnesses from coming forward to testify "will create an adverse inference that those allegations are correct." Schiff added, "We are proceeding deliberately, but at the same time we feel a real sense of urgency."

  • As for the new subpoena, it's directed toward acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. It requests 13 separate batches of documents related to a July phone call that Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and related matters. The Oversight panel will issue the subpoena in coordination with the House intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees, Cummings said.
  • The action came as House and Senate staff prepared to meet with the State Department's inspector general on Wednesday. A State Department invitation to the meeting, which was reviewed by the AP, requested an "urgent" meeting with staff from eight House and Senate panels.
  • The invitation said only that the inspector general, Steve Linick, "would like to discuss and provide staff with copies of documents related to the State Department and Ukraine." The documents were obtained from the State Department's acting legal adviser, according to the email.
(More President Trump stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X