House Democrats subpoenaed key documents from Energy Secretary Rick Perry Thursday relating to their impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump's effort to extort Ukraine into investigating his political rivals.
“Recently, public reports have raised questions about any role you may have played in conveying or reinforcing the President’s stark message to the Ukrainian President,” the Democratic chairs of three committees wrote. “These reports have also raised significant questions about your efforts to press Ukrainian officials to change the management structure at a Ukrainian state-owned energy company to benefit individuals involved with Rudy Giuliani’s push to get Ukrainian officials to interfere in our 2020 election.”
Trump has told GOP lawmakers that he made the precipitous July 25 call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Perry's urging. Perry also led a U.S. delegation to Ukraine for Zelenky's inauguration but has only said he discussed "corruption" with Zelensky. But Perry has denied pressuring the Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz to place two U.S. businessmen on its board.
Perhaps Perry should have resigned from his post after all.