President Donald Trump listens to reporters at the Helsinki conference in 2018. (Photo: Office of Russian President Vladimir Putin)
Apr 17, 2019
President Donald Trump is making clear he will resist Congressional subpoenas into his personal finances and his administration's behavior, setting up a clash between two ostensibly co-equal branches of government.
That announcement came Tuesday evening via reporting by The Washington Post. The Post, citing sources inside the White House, described Trump as digging in his heels over the requests.
"The administration does not plan to turn over information being sought about how particular individuals received their security clearances, Trump's meetings with foreign leaders and other topics that they plan to argue are subject to executive privilege, according to several aides familiar with internal discussions," the Post reported.
At issue are records pertaining to Trump administration security clearances from the House Oversight and Reform committee, the president's tax returns from the Ways and Means Committee, and business loans from international banks from the House Intelligence and Financial Services committees.
The president's son, Eric Trump, called the subpoenas to the banks specifically an "unprecedented abuse of power."
On CNN's show "The Situation Room," Rep. Denny Heck (D-Wash.), who sits on the House Financial Services Committee, pushed back against that description of the Democratic majority's use of its power.
"What's unprecedented is that the president refuses to release his tax returns, like every other president in modern history dating back 50 years has done," said Heck.
\u201cEric Trump says the subpoena of Trump-connected banks is an "unprecedented abuse of power" by the Dems\n \n"What's unprecedented is that the President refuses to release his tax returns, like every other president in modern history dating back 50 years has done." - Rep. Denny Heck\u201d— The Situation Room (@The Situation Room) 1555453099
Inside the White House, resistance to the subpoenas is coming from top officials and the president's lawyers, who are taking a broad view of the extent of presidential privilege.
"I wouldn't cooperate with any of them," Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani told the Post.
Adding that he advised the president not to cooperate, Giulinai said that were it his records the Democrats were after, "I'd fight it tooth and nail."
That's setting up a conflict with Congress--one that will likely drag on through the 2020 presidential election.
Which is exactly the point, as the Post made clear.
Congressional subpoenas -- and any criminal contempt proceedings that may follow -- expire at the end of a congressional session, which could make matters moot after the 2020 election.
"It will be in the legislative interest to request expedited action by the courts," Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) told the Post. "Here, justice delayed is democracy denied."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
President Donald Trump is making clear he will resist Congressional subpoenas into his personal finances and his administration's behavior, setting up a clash between two ostensibly co-equal branches of government.
That announcement came Tuesday evening via reporting by The Washington Post. The Post, citing sources inside the White House, described Trump as digging in his heels over the requests.
"The administration does not plan to turn over information being sought about how particular individuals received their security clearances, Trump's meetings with foreign leaders and other topics that they plan to argue are subject to executive privilege, according to several aides familiar with internal discussions," the Post reported.
At issue are records pertaining to Trump administration security clearances from the House Oversight and Reform committee, the president's tax returns from the Ways and Means Committee, and business loans from international banks from the House Intelligence and Financial Services committees.
The president's son, Eric Trump, called the subpoenas to the banks specifically an "unprecedented abuse of power."
On CNN's show "The Situation Room," Rep. Denny Heck (D-Wash.), who sits on the House Financial Services Committee, pushed back against that description of the Democratic majority's use of its power.
"What's unprecedented is that the president refuses to release his tax returns, like every other president in modern history dating back 50 years has done," said Heck.
\u201cEric Trump says the subpoena of Trump-connected banks is an "unprecedented abuse of power" by the Dems\n \n"What's unprecedented is that the President refuses to release his tax returns, like every other president in modern history dating back 50 years has done." - Rep. Denny Heck\u201d— The Situation Room (@The Situation Room) 1555453099
Inside the White House, resistance to the subpoenas is coming from top officials and the president's lawyers, who are taking a broad view of the extent of presidential privilege.
"I wouldn't cooperate with any of them," Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani told the Post.
Adding that he advised the president not to cooperate, Giulinai said that were it his records the Democrats were after, "I'd fight it tooth and nail."
That's setting up a conflict with Congress--one that will likely drag on through the 2020 presidential election.
Which is exactly the point, as the Post made clear.
Congressional subpoenas -- and any criminal contempt proceedings that may follow -- expire at the end of a congressional session, which could make matters moot after the 2020 election.
"It will be in the legislative interest to request expedited action by the courts," Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) told the Post. "Here, justice delayed is democracy denied."
President Donald Trump is making clear he will resist Congressional subpoenas into his personal finances and his administration's behavior, setting up a clash between two ostensibly co-equal branches of government.
That announcement came Tuesday evening via reporting by The Washington Post. The Post, citing sources inside the White House, described Trump as digging in his heels over the requests.
"The administration does not plan to turn over information being sought about how particular individuals received their security clearances, Trump's meetings with foreign leaders and other topics that they plan to argue are subject to executive privilege, according to several aides familiar with internal discussions," the Post reported.
At issue are records pertaining to Trump administration security clearances from the House Oversight and Reform committee, the president's tax returns from the Ways and Means Committee, and business loans from international banks from the House Intelligence and Financial Services committees.
The president's son, Eric Trump, called the subpoenas to the banks specifically an "unprecedented abuse of power."
On CNN's show "The Situation Room," Rep. Denny Heck (D-Wash.), who sits on the House Financial Services Committee, pushed back against that description of the Democratic majority's use of its power.
"What's unprecedented is that the president refuses to release his tax returns, like every other president in modern history dating back 50 years has done," said Heck.
\u201cEric Trump says the subpoena of Trump-connected banks is an "unprecedented abuse of power" by the Dems\n \n"What's unprecedented is that the President refuses to release his tax returns, like every other president in modern history dating back 50 years has done." - Rep. Denny Heck\u201d— The Situation Room (@The Situation Room) 1555453099
Inside the White House, resistance to the subpoenas is coming from top officials and the president's lawyers, who are taking a broad view of the extent of presidential privilege.
"I wouldn't cooperate with any of them," Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani told the Post.
Adding that he advised the president not to cooperate, Giulinai said that were it his records the Democrats were after, "I'd fight it tooth and nail."
That's setting up a conflict with Congress--one that will likely drag on through the 2020 presidential election.
Which is exactly the point, as the Post made clear.
Congressional subpoenas -- and any criminal contempt proceedings that may follow -- expire at the end of a congressional session, which could make matters moot after the 2020 election.
"It will be in the legislative interest to request expedited action by the courts," Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) told the Post. "Here, justice delayed is democracy denied."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.