1. Wide of House Judiciary Committee before start of hearing
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, (D) New York / Chairman, House Judiciary Committee
SOUNDBITE (English)
"More than a year ago, White House counsel Don McGahn sat for the first of several interviews with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Over the course of those interviews, he described how the president directed him to have the special counsel fired. He described how the president ordered him to lie about it. He described several other obstructive incidents outlined in the special counsel's report. The president, in contrast, refused to be interviewed by the special counsel, or even to answer written questions about his attempts to obstruct the investigation. In short the president took it upon himself to intimidate a witness who has a legal obligation to be here today. This conduct is not remotely acceptable."
+++WHITE FLASH+++
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, (D) New York / Chairman, House Judiciary Committee
"Let me be clear. This committee will hear Mr. McGahn's testimony even if we have to go to court to secure it. We will not allow the president to prevent the American people from hearing from this witness. We will not allow the president to block congressional subpoenas, putting himself and his allies above the law. We will not allow the president to stop this investigation and nothing in these unjustified and unjustifiable legal attacks will stop us from pressing forward with our work on behalf of the American people. We will hold this president accountable one way or the other."
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler rebuked President Donald Trump and former White House Counsel Don McGahn for defying a subpoena for McGahn's testimony before the committee Tuesday.
President Donald Trump directed McGahn to ignore the committee's subpoena to testify. A lawyer for McGahn said he would follow the president's directive.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said the committee will vote to hold McGahn in contempt of Congress if he did not testify.
It is one of several actions against current and former members of the administration as Trump has said he will fight "all of the subpoenas."
McGahn was a key witness in the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller.
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