House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) responded Tuesday to reports that the White House would try to prevent former White House counsel Don McGahn from testifying before Congress even though he was subpoenaed by the panel.
The Democratic chairman maintained in a statement released Tuesday evening that the White House does not have the authority to circumvent the subpoena and that an attempt to do so would be “obstruction.”
“The moment for the White House to assert some privilege to prevent this testimony from being heard has long since passed,” Nadler said. “I suspect that President Trump and his attorneys know this to be true as a matter of law-and that this evening’s reports, if accurate, represent one more act of obstruction by an Administration desperate to prevent the public from talking about the President’s behavior.”{mosads}
Nadler asserted that the Judiciary Committee’s subpoena “stands,” adding, “I look forward to Mr. McGahn’s testimony.”
The Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena on Monday for McGahn to testify publicly about accounts detailed in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, which was released last week with certain redactions.
Nadler has described the former White House lawyer as a critical witness when it comes to instances in which Trump may have sought to obstruct Mueller’s probe, something the Judiciary panel is examining as part of an investigation into obstruction of justice and abuse of power by the president and his inner circle.
The Democratic chairman issued his statement following a report in The Washington Post on Tuesday evening that stated the White House plans to fight the subpoena.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.