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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 4 april 2019

House Judiciary panel approves subpoenas for Mueller report

By MARY CLARE JALONICK to provide an unredacted ers who could receive sub-
Associated Press verson to Congress, along poenas are strategist Steve
WASHINGTON (AP) — The with underlying materials. Bannon, communications
House Judiciary Commit- The Justice Department director Hope Hicks, chief
tee approved subpoenas ignored that deadline, of staff Reince Priebus,
Wednesday for special with Barr telling commit- White House counsel Don-
counsel Robert Mueller’s tee chairmen in a letter ald McGahn and counsel
full Russia report as Demo- last week that he was in Ann Donaldson. Donaldson
crats pressure the Justice the process of redacting served as McGahn’s chief
Department to release the portions of the almost 400- of staff before both left the
document without redac- page report and it would administration.
tions. be released by mid-April, The five were key witnesses
The committee voted 24-17 “if not sooner.” in Mueller’s probe of pos-
to give Judiciary Chairman The vote further escalates sible obstruction of justice
Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., per- the Democrats’ battle with and were sent document
mission to issue subpoenas House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the Justice Department requests by the Judiciary
to the Justice Department surrounded by his staff, passes a resolution to subpoena special over how much of the re- panel last month, along
for the final report, its ex- counsel Robert Mueller’s full report, on Capitol Hill in Washington, port they will be able to see, with dozens of other peo-
hibits and any underlying Wednesday, April 3, 2019. Associated Press a fight that could eventu- ple connected to Trump.
evidence or materials pre- ally head to court if the two Nadler said he is concerned
pared for Mueller’s investi- terials. wide-ranging investigation sides can’t settle their dif- about reports that docu-
gation. Nadler has not yet The Judiciary panel also into Trump and his personal ferences through negotia- ments relevant to Mueller’s
said if he’ll send the sub- voted Wednesday to au- and political dealings. tion. Democrats have said investigation “were sent
poenas, which would be thorize subpoenas related On the Mueller report, they will not accept re- outside the White House,”
the first step in a potentially to five of President Donald House Democrats had dactions and want to see meaning the committee
long fight with the Justice Trump’s former top advis- given Attorney General the evidence unfiltered by should have access to
Department over the ma- ers, stepping up a separate, William Barr until Tuesday Barr. In the letter last week, them because they may
Barr said he is scrubbing not be covered by execu-
the report to avoid disclos- tive privilege.
ing any grand jury informa- The top Republican on the
tion or classified material, Judiciary panel, Georgia
in addition to portions of Rep. Doug Collins, said at
the report that pertain to the vote that the five sub-
ongoing investigations or poenas are misguided be-
that “would unduly infringe cause two of the individu-
on the personal privacy als have already provided
and reputational interests 3,000 documents to the
of peripheral third parties.” committee and that the
Democrats say they want other three have indicated
access to all of that infor- a willingness to cooperate.
mation, even if some of it Collins said the authoriza-
can’t be disclosed to the tion for all of the subpoe-
public. Nadler said he will nas is “reckless” and that
give Barr time to change Democrats shouldn’t be
his mind on redactions, asking for documents that
but if they cannot reach the Justice Department
an agreement they will is- can’t legally disclose to the
sue the subpoenas “in very public. The committee re-
short order.” He also said jected a GOP amendment
he is prepared to go to that would have blocked
court to get the grand jury the subpoenas from apply-
information. ing to grand jury informa-
“This committee requires tion.
the full report and the un- “We have a pre-emptive
derlying materials because chairman who has gone
it is our job, not the attor- out with pre-emptive sub-
ney general’s, to deter- poenas today on a report
mine whether or not Presi- that has already been
dent Trump has abused his promised him,” Collins said.
office,” Nadler said. “This is nothing but political
The five former Trump advis- theater.”q