President Donald Trump listens to Attorney General William Barr during the 38th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service at the west front of the Capitol May 15, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
May 15, 2019
Rep. Jerry Nadler said Wednesday that the House Judiciary Committee's investigations into President Donald Trump's possible obstruction of justice and other abuses of power will continue after the White House "made the extraordinary demand" that Democrats stop their inquiries.
"We will do no such thing," Nadler, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. "The White House position appears to be that the Justice Department cannot hold the president accountable, since it purportedly cannot indict him."
"The White House position appears to be that the Justice Department cannot hold the president accountable, since it purportedly cannot indict him."
--Rep. Jerry Nadler
"Now it adds the extreme claim that Congress cannot act either, because that would duplicate the special counsel's work," said Nadler. "This flies in the face of the American idea that no one is above the law, and I reject it."
The New York Democrat's statement came after he received a letter from White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, who suggested that Nadler and congressional Democrats are attempting a "do-over" of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, which uncovered numerous instances of possible obstruction of justice but left it to Congress to decide whether the president committed any crimes.
"Congressional investigations are intended to obtain information to aid in evaluating potential legislation," wrote Cipollone, "not to harass political opponents or to pursue an unauthorized 'do-over' of exhaustive law enforcement investigations conducted by the Department of Justice."
"The appropriate course is for the committee to discontinue the inquiry," Cipollone wrote. "Unfortunately, it appears that you have already decided to press ahead with a duplicative investigation, including by issuing subpoenas, to replow the same ground the special counsel has already covered."
As Common Dreams reported last week, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress after he refused to testify and failed to comply with a subpoena for the full Mueller report and all underlying evidence.
Nadler highlighted the Trump administration's refusal to cooperate with congressional oversight efforts in his statement and vowed to continue exercising the powers of a co-equal branch of government.
"Our investigation into this as well as other troubling conduct by this administration will continue," said Nadler.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Rep. Jerry Nadler said Wednesday that the House Judiciary Committee's investigations into President Donald Trump's possible obstruction of justice and other abuses of power will continue after the White House "made the extraordinary demand" that Democrats stop their inquiries.
"We will do no such thing," Nadler, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. "The White House position appears to be that the Justice Department cannot hold the president accountable, since it purportedly cannot indict him."
"The White House position appears to be that the Justice Department cannot hold the president accountable, since it purportedly cannot indict him."
--Rep. Jerry Nadler
"Now it adds the extreme claim that Congress cannot act either, because that would duplicate the special counsel's work," said Nadler. "This flies in the face of the American idea that no one is above the law, and I reject it."
The New York Democrat's statement came after he received a letter from White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, who suggested that Nadler and congressional Democrats are attempting a "do-over" of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, which uncovered numerous instances of possible obstruction of justice but left it to Congress to decide whether the president committed any crimes.
"Congressional investigations are intended to obtain information to aid in evaluating potential legislation," wrote Cipollone, "not to harass political opponents or to pursue an unauthorized 'do-over' of exhaustive law enforcement investigations conducted by the Department of Justice."
"The appropriate course is for the committee to discontinue the inquiry," Cipollone wrote. "Unfortunately, it appears that you have already decided to press ahead with a duplicative investigation, including by issuing subpoenas, to replow the same ground the special counsel has already covered."
As Common Dreams reported last week, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress after he refused to testify and failed to comply with a subpoena for the full Mueller report and all underlying evidence.
Nadler highlighted the Trump administration's refusal to cooperate with congressional oversight efforts in his statement and vowed to continue exercising the powers of a co-equal branch of government.
"Our investigation into this as well as other troubling conduct by this administration will continue," said Nadler.
Rep. Jerry Nadler said Wednesday that the House Judiciary Committee's investigations into President Donald Trump's possible obstruction of justice and other abuses of power will continue after the White House "made the extraordinary demand" that Democrats stop their inquiries.
"We will do no such thing," Nadler, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. "The White House position appears to be that the Justice Department cannot hold the president accountable, since it purportedly cannot indict him."
"The White House position appears to be that the Justice Department cannot hold the president accountable, since it purportedly cannot indict him."
--Rep. Jerry Nadler
"Now it adds the extreme claim that Congress cannot act either, because that would duplicate the special counsel's work," said Nadler. "This flies in the face of the American idea that no one is above the law, and I reject it."
The New York Democrat's statement came after he received a letter from White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, who suggested that Nadler and congressional Democrats are attempting a "do-over" of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, which uncovered numerous instances of possible obstruction of justice but left it to Congress to decide whether the president committed any crimes.
"Congressional investigations are intended to obtain information to aid in evaluating potential legislation," wrote Cipollone, "not to harass political opponents or to pursue an unauthorized 'do-over' of exhaustive law enforcement investigations conducted by the Department of Justice."
"The appropriate course is for the committee to discontinue the inquiry," Cipollone wrote. "Unfortunately, it appears that you have already decided to press ahead with a duplicative investigation, including by issuing subpoenas, to replow the same ground the special counsel has already covered."
As Common Dreams reported last week, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress after he refused to testify and failed to comply with a subpoena for the full Mueller report and all underlying evidence.
Nadler highlighted the Trump administration's refusal to cooperate with congressional oversight efforts in his statement and vowed to continue exercising the powers of a co-equal branch of government.
"Our investigation into this as well as other troubling conduct by this administration will continue," said Nadler.
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.