Page 785 - Contempt News Today

Muellers questioning, that witness, former white house counsel don mcgahn today was the no-show star witness at a judiciary committee that was convened to hear his testimony. but he didnt show up and they set out an empty chair for him. now, don mcgahn didnt just decide to stand up the committee for scheduled testimony. he defied a subpoena that legally required him to be there today. he defied that subpoena on orders from the white house. the judiciary committee rejects that. they now say theyl...

Staff. they also subpoenaed former white house communications director hope hicks today as well. those two were also both important witnesses for mueller as was don mcgahn. what will happen if hicks and donaldson defy their subpoenas as well just as don mcgahn has? i dont know. what happens when the house finds attorney general william barr in contempt, possibly now twice for him refusing to hand over subpoenas demanding that he give congress muellers full report? what will happen when hes found...

Been fighting. >> its just another amazing development. it means when secretary mnuchin told me in the committee hearing on march the 7th that he couldnt answer my questions and he needed more legal advice he already had legal advice and he had it when he made these multiple subsequent excuses in responding or nonresponding to the committee. i believe there is no legal advice that will stop the lawlessness and the lies of this administration. and thats why congress needs to act firmly now to use...

Determined. >> already, congresswoman sheila jackson lee. i want to bring in a member of two committees trying to conduct investigations with the president. jackie spear of california sits on both committees. if you favor a formal nirkz and investigation into into impeachment. >> i would want to move forward in a manner that allows the committee to start to draft articles of impeachment and lay it out to the american people much like sheila jackson lee suggested. i dont know if we have to have a...

Thats something the president is interested in. that would require legislation. well see maybe during a technical corrections bill if we ever get something through congress. >> do you worry at all about congress holding you in contempt? >> reporter: obviously, there that was a question about carried interest but he told me he has not talked to anyone at the white house or the president himself. he said i could not be any clearer about that fact. ive not consulted with anyone. he said he had neve...

That the president calling it stupid. his own former economic adviser gary cohn drafted a proposal that the president called so stupid. now hes making it all about the investigation, because he doesnt have an infrastructure plan. >> its like health care, right? you just come up with your plan and put it out there for people to debate and argue and come up or down. but we have for two and a half years now heard about an infrastructure plan. and we get suckered more than most. i get very excited t...

Chairman nadler said were going to compel his testimony one way or another. one of those ways they could do it is to vote to hold don mcgahn in contempt of congress. that doesnt have a lot of teeth. you know, to enforce something like that, they could direct the sergeant at arms to go out and arrest don mcgahn to bring him and confine him in the united states capitol. somehow, that hasnt been done since the 1930s so thats probably a little bit unlikely. i think what theyre trying to do is, you k...

Doomed in d.c., doomed today in manhattan. and well see if he does any better in the appeals court. >> how quickly could it make it to an appeals court? and could this potentially, eventually wind up in the u.s. supreme court? >> what makes these two cases so perilous for the president is that he is not in control of the people who have the documents, his accountants and these banks. they are going to turn over this material. they dont want to be held in contempt, unless the presidents lawyers h...

Contempt. we may have to use the same tools, but we have a serious purpose of investigation entrusted by the house of representatives, which by the way, did that in the nixon proceeding. the house voted to suggest to entrust the judiciary committee to proceed. you vote to investigate. i think it works and it does not preclude further actions as determined. >> already, congresswoman sheila jackson lee. i want to bring in a member of two committees trying to conduct investigations with the preside...

I dont know if we have to have a vote on the house floor, but i would like to see us utilizing inherent contempt. its a power we have and it was used as recently as 1935 in which you arrest someone you bring them in and can find them. its nothing like finding someone to get them to do what they should have done in the first place. >> i want to be clear. this is not to editorialize, but its a suggestion thaw send someone out to doj to put handcuffs and bring them back to the clink in the house ca...