5 things to watch as Trump and Dems face off during investigations

The White House seeks to thwart more than 20 congressional investigations into President TrumpDonald John TrumpComey: Barr "refines his own department", according to GOP spokesman Mueller, Flynn contacted him during an investigation into a special advocate: report The acting secretary of DHS threatened to to resign after confronting Miller: report and his administration, accusing Democrats of trying to score political points against the commander-in-chief before a year of reelection.

The executive refused to cooperate with requests for documents and interrogations of witnesses and objected to the resulting summonses from Democrats seeking to compel the administration to comply .

Democrats have accused Trump and his administration of ignoring the congressional investigative and oversight powers in an unprecedented manner, blocking any request from the president's tax returns to security clearance records.

There are five things to watch as the conflict between the White House and the Democrats in the House worsens.

What is the Dem's strategy to punish officials who do not comply?

Democrats vow to punish White House officials for not complying with their demands, but leaders have yet to adopt a comprehensive strategy to fight back.

Chairpersons of House Committees such as the Chair of the Judiciary Committee Jerrold NadlerJerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerTrump asks if Nadler will consider emails 'deleted and washed to acid' of Clinton. Trump tweets criticism of conservative commentator against FBI director Actress Marcia Gay Harden records a Mother's Day message in favor of the LGBTQ rights bill. MORE (D-N.Y.) And Chairman of the Intelligence Committee Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffDocernight Defense: Congressional leaders briefly briefed on Iran | Trump on war: "I hope not" | Key Republican appeals credible threats | Warren's plan aims to influence Pentagon Schiff's companies: DOJ does not comply with the Mueller report's summons The Republican convinced that Iran's threats are credible MORE (D-Calif.) Have put in place a series of punitive measures, including severe daily fines under the inherent contempt power of the House. Some also suggested imprisoning those who do not comply with the same rarely used power, while others have raised the possibility of dismissing officials.

Leader of the parliamentary majority Steny HoyerSteny Hamilton HoyerMaxine Waters: Trump's immigration plan is "very racist" Trump: "A good chance" for immigration to win, after Pelosi has called the White House's plan to & # 39; 39, died on his arrival & # 39; to vote on the pension bill next week MORE (D-Md.) Throwed cold water on Congress's resuscitation of congressional power of contempt, telling reporters on Wednesday: "We are a bit limited in our ability to carry out this task." Nancy PelosiNancy Patricia D'Alesandro PelosiOn Money: Treasury Rejects Dem Subpoena for Trump Tax Returns | Companies warn of trade war about to hit consumers | Congress and the White House launch budget negotiations next week | Trump Obtains an Agreement to Lift Steel Tariffs on Mexico, Canada Maxine Waters: Trump has done everything imaginable to be eligible for dismissal Trump Strikes Mulvaney for Doubting chances of an agreement on infrastructure PLUS (D-Calif.) Put it back on the table the next day.

"Nothing should be forgotten," Pelosi told reporters at a weekly press conference.

The leaders, however, agree to wait until the day after Memorial Day to target those who refuse to comply with the contempt quotes, including the Attorney General. William BarrWilliam Pelham BarrComey: Barr "refines his own department" The Hill & # 39; s 12:30 Report: Trump threatens imprisonment for "treason" and "spying" Barr rejects the vote for contempt of the public as part of " political circus ", which the court recommended to be contempt of court for failing to dismiss a special advocate Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud Mueller's choice to lead the investigation over Russia MOREFull report. The calendar gives parliamentary leaders an opportunity to evaluate their next steps.

representative Mike QuigleyMichael (Mike) Bruce QuigleySenate Dem Press Treasure and the IRS About Trump Tax Returns Application Trump Interior Interior Department Chief Says Response to Climate Change Returns to 20 Year Congress after Columbine, Dems optimistic about firearms reform PLUS (D-Ill.), A member of the House's Intelligence Committee, told The Hill this week that House leaders will eventually have to call for a "global" strategy to move forward .

"I have my opinion, I have my say, and it's up to people to make those decisions. We are in unknown territory, "said Quigley.

Does Trump claim the executive's privilege to block witnesses?

Trump has declared a total battle against Democrats' inquiries, but Washington is preparing to see if the president will formally assert the executive's privilege of blocking the testimony of key witnesses in Congress.

The president telegraphed earlier this month that he will attempt to prevent his advisers, including former White House lawyer Don McGahn, from testifying, although he did not formally assert to prevent the lawyer from appearing.

"I can not say," Well, we can, and others can not, "said Trump during an interview with Fox News earlier this month." I would say it's done. have gone through that. "

The Judicial Committee of Democrats issued a summons to appear before McGahn's testimony. He scheduled a hearing on Tuesday to allow him to testify publicly about his former boss. But we do not know if McGahn will introduce himself.
representative Val DemingsValdez (Val) Venita DemingsDems attack at Barr's headquarters, Dems seeks to make the pain feel to officials. Pelosi: Dems may be indicted, but "we are not there yet" CONTINUED (D-Fla.) Told The Hill on Friday that she and her panel colleagues "do not know" if McGahn will testify.

"I think that all the people we have summoned for documents or to appear before the Congress and testify will eventually have to respect subpoenas," said Demings.

Democrats are eager to hear about McGahn, especially after providing Mueller with long and damning testimony about Trump's attempts to remove the special advocate.

Democrats argue that the president can not assert the executive's privilege over McGahn's testimony, as Trump had already allowed him to speak to Mueller and had not affirmed the privilege over Mueller's report before it was released. But White House lawyer Emmet Flood said in a letter to Barr dated April 19 that the president's decision not to assert the privilege of Mueller's report did not prevent him from To invoke to prevent the testimony of his advisers.

While some outside legal experts have challenged Flood's argument, Trump has made it clear that he will defend himself.

"We are fighting against all subpoenas," Trump told reporters late last month.

How are the debates about Mueller's report, his testimony?

Two committees are currently in separate dead ends with the Department of Justice regarding access to Mueller's full report and the underlying evidence.

The Judiciary and Intelligence Committees of the House issued subpoenas for Mueller's full report and other documents, claiming that they had the right to consult the records because of their supervisory and investigation. Both committees also request the testimony of Mueller himself, although no agreement has been announced.

The Justice Department has resisted the request to send Mueller's full report and the underlying records to Congress, saying that such a disclosure could jeopardize ongoing investigations and noting that Barr does not warrant the investigation. did not have the right to unilaterally disclose grand jury documents.

Instead, Barr allowed a group of lawmakers to view a less redacted version of the report in a secure room, provided that they keep its content secret. The Department of Justice also indicated that it was ready to negotiate with committees to find an appropriate compromise.

But Democrats say that the administration has failed to demonstrate a good faith effort to negotiate. Schiff told reporters late Thursday that his group would vote on a "measure of execution" to force the Justice Department to comply with the summons within a week, after Barr missed the Wednesday deadline .

"In summary, the deadline came and went without the production of a single document, raising deep questions as to whether the department had any intention of honoring its legal obligations," said M Schiff to the press.

Nadler's panel also voted to condemn Barr for disregarding the subpoena. Trump made a "protective" affirmation of the executive's privilege over the elements of the Attorney General's recommendation as the committee progressed on the vote, deepening the standoff over the documents.

We do not know how the debates around the Mueller report will unfold. The entire House must vote on the Judicial Committee's contempt resolution before Nadler goes to court to enforce the subpoena.

It is possible that Schiff also plans to condemn Barr to scorn next week, even though the details of the enforcement measures he envisions are mysterious. Schiff stated that the committee would leave it up to the House lawyer to decide how best to enforce the subpoena.

How do the courts rule on subpoenas?

Democrat subpoenas are already being tried in the courts, and future decisions could provide a roadmap for how judges will rule in disputes between Congress and Trump and his administration.

The lawyers for Trump and his companies are grappling with a dispute with the House's oversight committee chaired by the president. Elijah CummingsElijah Eugene Cummings: Republicans Advocate Pharmaceutical Group Over Price of Anti-HIV Drugs Advocate greets Warren opioid proposal: "The scale of the plan is quite right" Top Dems Press MJ on ObamaCare Document Requests | Pennsylvania AG Continues Purdue Pharma Against Opioid Epidemic PLUS (D-Md.), While they're trying to block a subpoena for private financial records from the accounting firm Mazars.

A federal judge in Washington, DC, is expected to make a quick decision after both parties have filed their closing arguments by the end of next week.

Lawyers representing Trump and his companies said at the beginning of the week at a hearing that the committee did not have standing to issue the subpoena, describing the request for document as a "law enforcement" issue. and thus going beyond the congressional authorities.

However, Judge Amit Mehta, nominated by President Obama, has rejected Trump's lawyer, William Consovoy, stressing that Congressional investigations such as Watergate were not tied to any specific legislation – a potential sign according to which he could finally decide in favor of the Congress.

Meanwhile, Trump and his family go to court in Manhattan to defend themselves against a summons to appear before the Congress of Financial Records of Deutsche Bank, a company that has lent billions of dollars to the president over the years. They also contest a similar assignment issued to Capital One.

The House's intelligence and financial services committees jointly issued a subpoena for the documents. A hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday in the case.

How long can the White House wait?

Even if in the end, the White House could not escape requests for documents and block the witnesses, it could delay the Congressional inquiry considerably – a result that would surely enraged the Democrats.

Legislators are already frustrated by what they describe as unprecedented efforts by the Trump administration to block legitimate congressional demands, with some accusing the president of having triggered a "constitutional crisis."

This week, the White House refused to respond to a request for a document presented in early March by the Judiciary Committee, accusing the panel of trying to "stop" Mueller's investigation by pursuing a broad investigation into accusations of obstruction of power and other abuses of power by The President. White House lawyer Pat Cipollone also claimed that the request involved matters subject to the privilege of the executive.

Now, Nadler, who described the response as "ridiculous", must decide how to proceed – taking mandatory action or trying to negotiate with the White House.

The court disputing subpoenas for witness statements and documents could take months, even as judges seek to speed up the process.

Legal experts say, for example, that it would be unlikely that the White House would successfully suppress McGahn's testimony by asserting his privilege, but could still delay his appearance and ultimately send him to court supreme for it to be resolved.

Trump may be more successful in blocking further subpoenas, while conflicts over executive privilege over specific documents are likely to be more difficult to resolve.

Jacqueline Thomsen has contributed.