Page 950 - Contempt News Today

The tapes. only the courts got them with the supreme court decision based on executive privilege. so hope hicks is in a situation where so long as she wants to claim it she could get away with it. but if she doesnt want to claim it there is no way that trump can enforce her to say i invoke executive privilege. particularly now that she doesnt work for him. >> i would -- >> go ahead, jack. >> i would add simply that if the congress stands up for itself it can force the issue. there were. >> with ...

Still, then you would hold her in contempt. then at that point you go in front of a court, and a judge decides what happens. >> in a white house where -- i mean i dont think the departure of a communications, you know, director like this or somebody as close as this to the president would be such a big story if this white house wasnt organized in the disorganized way that it is, where there arent necessarily clear lanes -- at least initially there werent. >> and she admitted as much. she mention...

The congress stands up for itself it can force the issue. there were. >> with contempt. >> im sorry? >> with contempt. >> yes. absolutely. congress moved to hold people in our white house -- myself included, in contempt. now it never came to that. and it was a bargaining chip, if you will. but, yes, congress has the ability to do that, to force the issue. theyre not going to do it here. in this circumstance you are quite right. but one of the things that is abundantly clear is that mr. mueller i...

Attorney came in and was that arrogant about flouting the jurisdiction. >> the only way to subpoena her is if the committee decided to. and that seems unlikely. >> we ought to subpoena her. if she comes in on subpoena and doesnt answer those questions still then you hold her in contempt. and at that point you go in front of a court and a judge decides what happens. >> i dont think a departure of a communication director like this would be such a big story if this white house wasnt organized in a...

Sense of public responsibility can show such utter contempt for the interests of 185 million americans. >> neil: all right. so theres a history. very different case. the steel industry and hiked prices, the president said that wont fly. this is very different case where a president intervened because he feels the same steel industry has deteriorated and getting taken advantage of by foreign competitors. interesting, isnt it, doug? >> yes. but the one thing they have in common, they are both invo...

Werent in the executive branch, you cant claim executive privilege. and remember, sessions would signal, im going to say it in case the president would like to, almost leaving little bread crumbs on the trail for hansel and gretel to say, we would lake to exert this later on. it belongs to the president of the united states. and of course, you want the president of the united states, don, to be able to confide in his or her advisers and say, i need to have a free and open discussion. but you can...

Unfortunately, i dont know that any of that will happen. >> yeah. so, do you think that will happen? will the committee subpoena her or compel her to come back or no? >> i hope so. we certainly should. we should issue a subpoena. if she still doesnt answer, we ought to hold her in contempt. but the white house is betting that the makeup of this committee that that wont happen. >> what about her time during the transition or on the campaign. did she answer questions about that? did you get inform...

He met with the head of the russian bank. he had other contacts with the russians. in no other administration would he still have his job. >> yesterday you demand that had the white house answer your question as to who currently has a temporary security clearance, how they were granted and renewed, and an explanation of what kind of classified information they would have had access to given the actions taken. are you satisfied? >> in no way am i satisfied. that letter was written with chairman g...

Claim executive privilege, it usually applied to someone in the executive. so pre-dating the election, they werent in the executive branch, you cant claim executive privilege. and remember, sessions would signal, im going to say it in case the president would like to, almost leaving little bread crumbs on the trail for hansel and gretel to say, we would lake to exert this later on. it belongs to the president of the united states. and of course, you want the president of the united states, don, ...

>> yeah. >> the privilege exists and it has since george washington, and it should. on this im very sympathetic to the trump white house, having been a white house official. presidents have got to have a right to communicate and deliberate in private. but its a qualified privilege. its only the presidents to assert. it does not belong to corey lewandowski who has never worked a day in the white house, the former campaign manager for president trump. it doesnt belong to ms. hicks or mr. bannon, w...