The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed President Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and former senior White House official Rick Dearborn to testify in its investigation into possible obstruction of justice by Trump.
Democrats are trying to force Lewandowski and Dearborn to publicly testify on Sept. 17.
Democrats want to question the former Trump aides about their knowledge of potential obstruction detailed in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his Russia investigation.
In the report, Lewandowski, who did not work in the White House, said he was directed by Trump to ask then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to limit the investigation or tell him he was fired. Lewandowski said he never delivered the message, instead asking Dearborn to speak with Sessions. Dearborn did not follow through, according to Mueller’s report.
“Corey Lewandowski and Rick Dearborn were prominently featured in the Special Counsel’s description of President Trump’s efforts to obstruct justice by directing then-White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire the Special Counsel, and then by ordering him to lie about it,” Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-New York, said in a statement.
“The Committee intends to hold hearings and obtain testimony over the coming months as part of its efforts to hold the President accountable as we move forward with our investigation into obstruction, corruption and abuse of power by Trump and his associates. This will help the Committee determine whether to recommend articles of impeachment against the President or other Article 1 remedies. No one is above the law,” the statement said.
White House officials are considering whether to invoke executive privilege to prevent Lewandowski from complying with the subpoena, according to CNN. The White House has already invoked executive privilege to prevent other former aides from answering questions.
This would be the first time the president would try to assert the privilege for someone who never worked in his administration.
The subpoena comes as Lewandowski mulls a bid for the Senate in the New Hampshire. He is set to appear alongside Trump at a campaign rally in the state Thursday evening.
