House Oversight panel postpones vote to hold Kellyanne Conway in contempt

The House Oversight and Reform Committee postponed a vote scheduled for Thursday to hold White House counselor Kellyanne Conway in contempt for defying a subpoena, citing ongoing talks with the White House.

“I am postponing the Committee’s vote as I work with the White House to try to reach an accommodation. Ms. Conway violated the law numerous times and must be held accountable,” Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said in a statement.

A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

{mosads}The Oversight committee announced earlier in the week that it had scheduled a vote for Thursday to hold Conway in contempt after she refused to testify about her alleged violations of the Hatch Act. The law prohibits White House employees from speaking about elections in their official capacity.

After Conway did not appear voluntarily for testimony last month, the committee voted along party lines to subpoena her. She did not comply with the subpoena, with the White House asserting she was immune from testifying.

The committee has sought Conway’s testimony since the Office of Special Counsel found she violated the Hatch Act multiple times and showed disregard for her actions.

Conway’s refusal to testify comes amid a broader strategy by the White House to stonewall Democratic requests for documents and testimony as part of its investigations into the administration.