White House intends to block former counsel McGahn from testifying to Congress

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post



The White House intends to block former counsel Donald McGahn from testifying to Congress, the latest act of defiance in the ongoing war between House Democrats and President Trump. McGahn, who Democrats hoped would become a star witness in their investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice, was subpoenaed to testify Tuesday morning. The former White House counsel was a key witness in several instances of potential obstruction detailed in special counsel Robert. S. Mueller’s report.

An individual familiar with the strategy said Monday that the White House would move to prevent McGahn’s appearance on Capitol Hill. The move to bar McGahn from answering lawmakers’ questions is certain to anger House Democrats already eager to hit back at what they view as White House stonewalling. The defiance raises the possibility that the House will hold McGahn in contempt of Congress, as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) has threatened.

An increasing number of frustrated Democrats also want to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump even though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) last week privately downplayed the possibility and encouraged her members to focus on their policy agenda. Some Democrats believe opening up an impeachment inquiry will strengthen their hand in trying to force the White House to comply with document requests and witness testimony, including McGahn’s. House Democrats were hoping to make McGahn their star witness as they seek to unpack the findings of the Mueller report — particularly regarding questions of whether Trump obstructed justice. Trump and his administration have thwarted multiple House probes into the report, the president’s businesses and efforts to obtain his tax returns, frustrating Democrats who said they are trying to conduct oversight.

McGahn emerged as a central player in Mueller’s findings, a senior confidante who documented in real-time Trump’s rage against the Russia investigation and efforts to shut it down. Democrats wanted him to testify for a national television audience about the two episodes in which Mueller found McGahn was a critical witness and in which investigators say they have substantial evidence Trump was engaged in obstruction of justice that would normally warrant criminal charges.


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-intends-to-block-former-counsel-mcgahn-from-testifying-to-congress/2019/05/20/47f61f94-7b1b-11e9-a5b3-34f3edf1351e_story.html

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Original article & headline -

White House intends to block former counsel Donald McGahn from testifying to Congress, defying another request from House Democrats

By Washington Post Staff
May 20 at 2:55 PM

McGahn had been scheduled to appear Tuesday before the House Judiciary Committee, where Democrats were hoping to make a star witness out of a central player in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report. An individual familiar with the strategy said Monday that the White House would move to prevent McGahn’s appearance.

McGahn had documented in real-time President Trump’s rage against the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and his efforts to shut it down.

Earlier this month, the White House invoked executive privilege to bar McGahn from complying with a congressional subpoena for documents related to the Mueller probe.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2019/05/20/white-house-intends-to-block-former-counsel-donald-mcgahn-from-testifying-to-congress-defying-another-request-from-house-democrats/?utm_term=.d94c7462fb98&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--aler

[cstanleytech]

1. How can they invoke it now when they decided not to earlier? I thought once something

like attorney client privilege was waived it could not be taken back?

[elleng]

3. They can't.

[onenote]

10. The WH is not asserting executive privilege

Rather, they are asserting an even broader complete testimonial immunity for advisors to the president, and are attempting to back it up with rulings and opinions from previous administrations. https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/r0tz.eD1exEQ/v0

They also are arguing that McGahn's interviews with the Special Counsel do not raise the same separation of powers issues that would be raised by his testifying before Congress.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. That will probably be the argument

At least that is what I've heard for months now - the "waiving" of privilege way back would most likely be brought up if a claim of privilege was suddenly invoked.

[C_U_L8R]

2. How about we just defy their defiance.

Fuck Trump and his obstruction.

[wryter2000]

5. He's a private citizen

What power to they have to block him from testifying? I imagine they could refuse to let him look at documents. Maybe they could try to make a case of client/attorney privilege, even though that claim would be totally bogus.

But how can the keep him from appearing? It doesn't make any sense.

[djacq]

6. Good Luck with that!

Smells like a cover up.

[bluestarone]

7. STALL STALL STALL STALL!!!!!

THAT'S their game! Hope we can figure out a way around their BULLSHIT! Question here tho. What could the tRUMP administration do if he testified in revolt?

[yaesu]

8. All of the challenges will end up in the supreme fascist court eventually. nt

[Baitball Blogger]

9. I don't think private attorneys are legally obligated to withhold evidence when their clients

ask them to do something illegal.

[world wide wally]

11. Trumps totally depending on his stacked courts to bail his ass out again.

It's too bad such a fucking idiot can undermine the entire American Constitution through his blatant bully actions.