Congressmen Ted Lieu’s recent tweet suggest he is tired of Don the Cons games and is ready to unleash Congress ultimate power:
The Inherent Contempt process has not been in use for 85 years. As with the elimination of the Senate filibuster it is the nuclear option when it comes to individuals who refuse to comply with Congressional oversite authority. Practically speaking it would also require a new set of rules to implement.
The trial of William P. MacCracken, Jr. occurred in the Senate presided by the Vice President. If the House starts the process would there be a trial? What is conviction, a simple majority? Who imposes sentence and for how long?
Even after MacCracken, Jr. was convicted by the Senate they actually had no place to detain him for his 10-day sentence so he ended up in a DC Hotel room. Would a jail have to be built at the Capitol Building or arrangements made to lease part of the DC City jail?
MacCracken appealed his conviction and it was upheld by the Supremes. We are now dealing with a Court who has shown more fealty to the GOP and the Conman and does not hesitate to overturn precedent. Would the majority suddenly decide that Congress has exceeded its powers by locking up Citizens without a trial in the Federal Courts, or whatever BS excuse they come up with?
And finally, we must not forget the following:
1. Don the Con has no use for norms.
2. He thinks the law is for suckers
What if the b*stards refuse to show up for trial? Does the House Sergeant at Arms physically force them, backed up by the Capitol Police? Would the Trump administration use Federal Marshalls to prevent apprehension? We must seriously consider that to protect his assteroids the Conman would not hesitate to pit one law enforcement agency against another.
So I understand why the D’s in the House are hesitant to employ what would be a nuclear option and one which could blow up in the future if they lose Congress (elimination of the filibuster for Judicial nominees as an example).
But having said all this the refusal of the DNI to turn over a whistleblower complaint to the Intel Committee is such a flagrant violation of the law that all of the above concerns should be set aside. The IC process must begin now, right now with no more delays and future consequences be d*mned. The machinery must be in place and the first trials occurring at the end of October of this year.
Unless Speaker Pelosi and the Leadership back up their paper with the threat of actual jail time the Conman and his lackeys will continue their inherently contemptible behavior.