Democrats allow subpoenas for Trump officials and immigration documents

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The committee is planning a vote Thursday to authorize subpoenas, which would strengthen the Democrats' led inquiry into the possible obstruction of justice and policy review. Trump administration immigration. The vote would allow the president of the judiciary, Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, to issue subpoenas to appear at his discretion.

The committee has previously asked the administration for many documents related to immigration issues, but Tuesday's notice to subpoena is an escalation of these requests. This shows that the committee is expanding its investigation into President Donald Trump, while Democrats are questioning whether an imputation inquiry should be opened. This paper precedes the testimony of former Special Advocate Robert Mueller before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees next week.

In recent months, Democratic lawmakers have grilled government officials at congressional hearings on the "zero tolerance" policy that had led to the separation of migrant families who had illegally crossed the border. southern border and, more recently, have expressed frustration with the conditions prevailing at the border. facilitated by an influx of migrants to the US-Mexico border.

The resolution seems to solve these frustrations.

It includes documents and testimonies from former and former government officials regarding the "zero tolerance" policy and other policies and practices on family separation "; custody of children and / or families; and "discussions or offers of presidential pardon to officials or employees of the Department of Homeland Security".

The resolution also appoints a dozen people to authorize subpoenas, including Kushner, former White House chief of staff John Kelly, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and former Trump campaign director, Corey Lewandowski. The list also includes David Pecker, president of American Media Inc.'s publishing house, National Enquirer, suggesting that the committee also step up its investigation into the hidden payments made to women during the campaign alleging links with Trump.

Most officials on the Judiciary Committee are seeking letters from the committee in March. The committee sent 81 requests for information as part of a thorough investigation into a possible obstruction of justice, corruption and abuse of power. Many officials spoke to the special advocate and were quoted in the Mueller report.

The House Judiciary Committee has already summoned several former White House officials, but they have had to face resistance from the White House, which has called on these officials not to answer questions about their passage. in the Trump administration. fight in court. On Monday, the committee released written responses from Annie Donaldson, a former White House associate lawyer, in which she claimed that the White House had ordered her not to answer more than 200 panel questions.

"As always, I remain open to a reasonable compromise and I will not give summons to appear if the information we are seeking is provided voluntarily," Nadler said in a statement. "We will have answers in one way or another."

The intensified judicial inquiry comes as the Democrats continued to debate whether the House should initiate an imputation investigation, at the initiative of the Judicial Committee. At least 80 Democrats have publicly declared in favor of opening an investigation, and Nadler has deprived Mr. Pelosi of doing so.

This latter group of potential assignments includes officials who have not served at the White House, which could lead to witnesses less bound by the executive 's privilege claims than the White House. Trump administration.

The authorization of immigration-related subpoenas is another step in the committee's fight with the White House on this issue. The Judiciary Committee of the House had previously requested documents relating to the policy of "zero tolerance" of the administration and information about an exchange between Trump and the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection of the United States. time, Kevin McAleenan.
CNN had previously reported that Trump had told McAleenan that he would grant him a pardon when he was sent to jail for making border officers prevent asylum seekers from entering. in the United States in defiance of US law. The president reportedly made this remark during a border visit to Calexico, California in April. It was not clear if the comment was a joke.

The Judiciary Committee of the House is not the first to authorize subpoenas related to the "zero tolerance" policy.

The House Oversight Committee voted in February to subpoena the justice, homeland security and health and social services departments for documents related to the separation of the family on the southern border. .

It is unclear how the administration will respond to the latest decision of the Judiciary Committee of the House.

This story has been updated with additional developments on Tuesday.

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