House Democrats are stepping up calls for testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller — even if it takes a subpoena to obtain it. Issuing a…
House Democrats are stepping up calls for testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller — even if it takes a subpoena to obtain it.
Issuing a subpoena to compel testimony from Mueller, who has yet to reach a deal to appear before the House, carries risks for Democrats. It could be viewed as divisive, has the potential to generate negative headlines and is a step most would like to avoid.
But as the spring days slip away with no agreement to hear from the special counsel, frustrated lawmakers are saying they should use whatever means are necessary to hear from Mueller.
“I think he will have to be subpoenaed,” Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told The Hill.
“He’s critical. He basically made the case for obstruction of justice and we need to hear from him,” she said.
“I think we should do whatever we can to get that testimony,” Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) said when asked whether Mueller should be subpoenaed if he declines to testify publicly. “It’s so important for the American public.”
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) has repeatedly said the committee would subpoena Mueller if necessary but that he hopes it wouldn’t come to that. He declined to comment on reports Tuesday that Mueller did not want all of his testimony to be public.
Nadler’s staff has been negotiating with the special counsel’s office and the Justice Department for weeks over Mueller’s potential testimony. Nadler had initially set a tentative date for May 15 to hear from the special counsel, but it now appears his testimony will slip into at least June.
Mueller, a widely-respected former FBI director, is unlikely to want to be drawn into a political fight. He quietly investigated Russian interference and potential obstruction by President Trump for two years, speaking only through court filings and his sprawling 448-page report.
Some Democrats lay the blame on Mueller’s failure to reach a deal to appear on the Justice Department and Attorney General William Barr, who still has control over Mueller’s testimony while he remains a Justice employee.
