GOP-led Senate panel authorizes subpoenas of top Obama officials

[Judi Lynn]

Source: CNN


Jeremy Herb
By Jeremy Herb, CNN

Updated 2:30 PM ET, Thu June 11, 2020

(CNN)Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified more documents Thursday and a Senate panel approved a wide-ranging authorization to subpoena former Obama administration officials as Republicans ratcheted up their efforts to scrutinize the origins of the FBI's investigation into Russia and President Donald Trump's team.

The twin efforts show that congressional Republicans are marching forward with their probes into the origins of the probe and former special counsel Robert Mueller's appointment while Congress grapples with both the coronavirus pandemic and police reform efforts sparked by the nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines Thursday to authorize subpoenas to more than 50 officials who served in the Obama administration, including top officials like former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former FBI Director James Comey.

The subpoenas are part of Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham's investigation into the origins of the FBI's Russia investigation and the abuses uncovered by the Justice Department inspector general tied to foreign surveillance warrants obtained on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, is conducting a similar investigation, and his committee voted last week along party lines for a subpoena authorization to many of the same officials from the Obama administration.


Read more: https://us.cnn.com/2020/06/11/politics/subpoenas-obama-officials-lindsey-graham/index.html

[redstatebluegirl]

1. I they should ignore them the way 45's people did.

[Scarsdale]

5. EXACTLY!

Do the rules apply only to Democratic people? The gop ignored all those subpoenas, so now they can whistle for co-operation. Read the Mueller report for all their answers. Widdle Lindsey is feeling empowered. Little guy is being ignored by his big orange daddy, so he has to do something.

[Mike 03]

11. 1000%

[The Magistrate]

2. They Will Not Like What Results, Ma'am

[TomSlick]

29. Indeed.

These folks can take care of themselves. The Obama administration did not make it a habit to hire idiots.

This will not end well for the GOP.

[leftieNanner]

3. And I hope all of those Subpoenas get the Trump Treatment

Ignore. Delay. Obfuscate. Go to Court. Delay again.

And then say NO! If the current POTUS doesn't have to respond to Congressional subpoenas, then the previous one doesn't either.

Fuck you Lindsey.

[grumpyduck]

4. Well, there are lots of precedents

for people ignoring Congressional subpoenas, so I'd say they can use them.

OTOH, the Dems know it would far more damaging to the GOP if they went ahead and nothing showed up: just a huge waste of time and money.

Ah, politics.

[yaesu]

6. they should ignore them just like the tRump administration did. nt

[Divad123]

7. A dangerous time

Don't take this lightly. Remember White Water. The republican hypocrisy and vindictiveness won't stop un till they damage everyone they subpoena. If they can't find a crime, they will make one up. Fox is already ramping up Obama's 'crime'.

[groundloop]

10. Yep. If nothing else GOPers are good at putting on a political show

There are several Senate seats in play where a shift of just a percentage point or two could make the difference. This little dog and pony show, if not carefully played by Democrats, could allow just enough shift to save a few GOPer seats (McTurtles' for one).

[relayerbob]

8. Good, let them tell the truth about Trump's treason publicly

[diva77]

19. I agree. To ignore the subpeonas makes it look like the Dems are just as arrogant about ignoring the

law as the Rethugs. Dems can use this travesty to their advantage.

[Demsrule86]

25. No it ends the story...they can whine but they can't say anything much...going gives them a chance

to lie and distort the truth...we have to fight fire with fire...they ignored our subpoenas and no one should even reply to the fake GOP subpoenas...we don't want to be pure, we must beat them at their own game. The GOP can't be allowed to drag innocent people through mud while allowing the biggest criminal president in the history of this country to squat in the White House...NO I don't care what they say fuck- them. You don't respond to our subpoenas, we won't respond to yours...end of story.

[ffr]

9. The Whitewater goose chase all over again. Millions spent to dig up presumptive headlines

They know there's nowhere it can go, but the headlines it creates will get every cable network talking about that rather than the 150,000 people soon to be dead of Covid-19, or the stock market crashing due to GOP policies or the 40+ million unemployed under GOP watch.

This LBN doesn't deserve the electrons taken to post it. Fuck the GOP grifting dirty scumbags! The sooner they're in jail, the sooner this country can move on from this regime!!!

[Marcuse]

12. Repeat: Oversight for thee, but not for the GOP.

[kimbutgar]

13. They need to ignore these subpoenas just like the repuke ignore the house subpoenas.

[Miguelito Loveless]

14. Show up,

but explain that your answers are conditional on the answers of previous Trump officials who refused to testify. When they come in and answer questions, you will answer questions.

[Fiendish Thingy]

15. Anyone subpoenaed should tell Ratcliffe to Fuck Right Off

Make THEM issue contempt warrants and try to enforce them.

[AllaN01Bear]

16. 50 years of show trials starting with mcarthy and onwars and nothing found .

ignore the subpoenas as did the thing and his idiots . actualy show up and plead the 5th.

[cstanleytech]

17. Sure go after an african american president after all that has been happening with protests of the

treatment of african americans.
I am sure that will go over as well as lead balloon.

[Cha]

23. Excellent point.. the magats are too stupid to be in office.

[Ford_Prefect]

18. Benghazi II !!!!! All of the innuendo and none of the facts (there aren't any to find).

Coming soon to OAN as another endless mini-melodrama, with twice the hype, lots more of the egregious GOP Senatorial posturing, and at 3 times the cost of any previous hearings.

Its about perception versus the simple truth. And since the truth has been established not once, or even twice, but three times now none of the MSM will pay the slightest bit of attention to it.

[farmbo]

20. The House of Representatives should return the favor...

Have their committees issue 49 subpoenas for Trump appointees in all the agencies where Dear Leader fired the Inspectors General.

Then issue the last subpoena to the sex worker Who claims to have been hired frequently by a certain Southern Republican Senator.

[Nevilledog]

30. +1 for the idea.

[ace3csusm]

21. I Agree Ignore the subpoenas ...Put pressure on supreme court

Its now on them to decide where they will protect the law of party...

[Bayard]

22. Is there a way around this?

We don't want to look like rethugs thinking we're above the law (what a great ad--Dems believe in law and order, they don't). But challenge the legality of the subpoenas in court. We could drag this out till after Nov.

[madinmaryland]

32. Yeah. Suing them could tie things up for at least a year. With the election less than five months

away, it could pretty much end the fishing expeditions in their tracks.

[jorgevlorgan]

24. good thing the GOP already set a solid precedent of ignoring subpoenas.

If they want to keep this shit up, Democrats can always start impeachment proceedings back up.

[mackdaddy]

26. Don't Ignore them. Just put them in a Que right after all of the other subpoenas issued.

That way they are not directly violating them, just waiting on them first in - first out.

[kyburbonkid]

27. Just delay until after Nov.

After all, if you can't pick a Supreme in an election year, I don't see how you can investigate an investigation, grand jury, multiple convictions, etc on and on when it's an election year. Don't you think?

[creeksneakers2]

28. They've investigated this over and over.

First in the House, then in the Senate, then with an IG, then with a U.S. Attorney, then with another U.S. attorney, then with the Senate again. They aren't going to find anything.

[RobinA]

31. Did I Miss Something?

Is Obama running for something? Who the hell cares? Whitewater happened while Clinton was in office and was a distraction. Benghazi was when H Clinton was SoS and then kept going until she was running for President. I know Trump is obsessed with Obama, but anything O did wrong is kinda the last war or the one before that at this point. This is so last year! If that.