Three House committees have followed through on promises to subpoena the Trump administration, after the White House has continued to ignore requests for documents. According to the joint statement from Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, Rep. Adam Schiff, the Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Rep. Eliot L. Engel, the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the subpoena comes nearly a month after an initial documents request on September 9.
As the New York Times notes, the committees are requesting “documents and communications that are highly delicate and would typically be subject in almost any White House to claims of executive privilege.” This of course is not any other White House, and these documents could be crucial to moving the impeachment inquiry forward.
In Friday’s letter to White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney—who was also subpoenaed on Friday—the chairmen gave credit for the subpoena where credit was due.
During a press conference on Wednesday, President Trump was asked if he would cooperate with a House impeachment inquiry. He responded, “I always cooperate.” President Trump ‘s claim is patently false. The White House has refused to engage with—or even respond to±requests for documents from our Committees on a voluntary basis. After nearly a month of stonewalling, it appears clear that the President has chosen the path of defiance, obstruction, and cover-up.
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We deeply regret that President Trump has put us-and the nation—in this position, but his actions have left us with no choice but to issue this subpoena.