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President Donald Trump listens to reporters at the Helsinki conference in 2018. (Photo: Office of Russian President Vladimir Putin)
'Justice Delayed Is Democracy Denied': Trump to Fight Subpoenas From House Dems
"The administration does not plan to turn over information."
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.
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."
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This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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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.
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.
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."
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