The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday issued subpoenas to former White House communications director Hope Hicks and an aide to former White House counsel Donald McGahn, requesting more details about what lawmakers see as disturbing information in the special cousel’s report on the Russia investigation.
The committee’s Democratic chairman, Jerrold Nadler, requested documents and public hearings from both Hicks and McGahn’s former aide, Annie Donaldson, just a day after the White House directed McGahn to defy a subpoena the committee issued to him.
“As I said earlier today, the Judiciary Committee’s investigation into obstruction of justice, public corruption and abuse of power by President Trump and his Administration will continue,” Nadler said in a statement
The Department of Justice issed a legal opinion on Monday stating McGahn is “not legally required” to comply with the subpoena, explaining that, “the immunity of the President’s immediate advisors from compelled congressional testimony on matters related to their official responsibilities has long been recognized and arises from the fundamental workings of the separation of powers.”
McGahn caused alarm among lawmakers when Robert Mueller’s final report came out, describing McGahn’s statements to the special counsel that President Trump had directed him to have the Justice Department fire Mueller, a possible instance in which the president may have obstructed justice.