Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are reportedly pursuing testimony from former Attorney General Jeff Sessions regarding their impeachment probe into President Trump.
Democrats allegedly want to question Sessions about his unsteady relationship with Trump, including his decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, according to the Washington Post.
Officials familiar with the matter told the Post that congressional aides for the Judiciary Committee reached out over the summer to Charles Cooper, an attorney for Sessions, but Cooper insisted that the former head of the Justice Department would only comply with the request if forced by a subpoena.
“I have made clear that Attorney General Sessions will not appear except under compulsion of a congressional subpoena,” Cooper told the Post.
A subpoena for Sessions has not yet been issued.
The Judiciary panel authorized some requisite steps for Trump allies and former administration aides as part of the probe. Democrats view Sessions’ testimony as vital in detailing possible instances of obstruction of justice outlined by former special counsel Robert Mueller.
Trump demanded Sessions resign in November 2018 after slamming his attorney general publicly for months after his recusal.
After Sessions’ recusal in March 2017, then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was the highest-ranking Justice Department official to lead the Russia probe, but he instead chose to appoint Mueller to conduct the investigation after Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey.
Mueller’s probe led to the indictment of numerous Trump associates and became the subject of much scrutiny of the administration for the first two years of his presidency.
Democrats are expected to ask Sessions about any criticism he got from Trump regarding his recusal and if he was aware of any incidents of potential obstruction noted in Mueller’s report.
According to The Post, the White House could try to bar Sessions’ testimony, following the lead it has taken with several other current and former aides.
