The House Judiciary Committee has approved subpoenas for special counsel Robert Mueller's full report on his Russia investigation.

The committee voted 24-17 to give Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., permission to issue subpoenas to the Justice Department for the final report, exhibits and any underlying evidence or materials prepared for Mueller's investigation.

Nadler has not yet said if he'll send the subpoenas.

House Democrats had given Attorney General William Barr until Tuesday to produce the full report to Congress.

The Justice Department ignored that deadline, with Barr telling committee chairmen last week that a redacted version of the full 300-page report would be released by mid-April, "if not sooner."

The vote further escalates the Democrats' battle with the Justice Department over how much of the report they will be able to see, a fight that could eventually end up in court if the two sides can't settle their differences through negotiation.

Democrats have said they will not accept redactions and want to see the evidence unfiltered by Barr.

The Judiciary panel also voted Wednesday to authorize subpoenas related to five of President Donald Trump's former top advisers, including strategist Steve Bannon, communications director Hope Hicks, chief of staff Reince Priebus, White House counsel Donald McGahn and counsel Ann Donaldson.

POOL

Washington, DC - 3 April 2019

1. Wide of House Judiciary Committee members on dais

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, (D) New York, Chairman, House Judiciary Commmittee:

"This committee requires the full report and the underlying materials because it is our job, not the attorney general's, to determine whether or not President Trump has abused his office. And we require the report because one day, one way or another, the country will move on from President Trump. We must make it harder for future presidents to behave this way. We need a full accounting of the president's actions to do that work."

3. Wide of committee members

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. David Cicilline, (D) Rhode Island:

"This investigation was conducted on behalf of the American people when our democracy was attacked by a foreign adversary. We fought hard to protect Mr. Mueller, so he could complete his work free from political interference. And now we have a right, this committee has the right and the responsibility to see the full contents of this report and the supporting materials."

5. Mid of committee members

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee:

"Under regulations written by Janet Reno and other Democrats don't require him to do this, but in the name of transparency, he is. He may even furnish us the report as early as next week. Yet the chairman plows ahead. What's the rush?"

7. Wide of committee members

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. John Ratcliffe, (R) Texas:

"Mr. Chairman, today I heard you say over and over again, Congress requires, Congress requires, there are constitutional rights, or there's a necessity for this information. What I didn't hear was what law? The special counsel, where in the special counsel regulation does it say that the special, that the attorney general must turn over an unredacted full Special Counsel report? The special counsel regulation doesn't say that. No law says that."

9. Wide of Judiciary Committee members voting on resolution

The House Judiciary Committee has approved subpoenas for special counsel Robert Mueller's full report on his Russia investigation.

The committee voted 24-17 to give Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., permission to issue subpoenas to the Justice Department for the final report, exhibits and any underlying evidence or materials prepared for Mueller's investigation.

Nadler has not yet said if he'll send the subpoenas.

House Democrats had given Attorney General William Barr until Tuesday to produce the full report to Congress.

The Justice Department ignored that deadline, with Barr telling committee chairmen last week that a redacted version of the full 300-page report would be released by mid-April, "if not sooner."

The vote further escalates the Democrats' battle with the Justice Department over how much of the report they will be able to see, a fight that could eventually end up in court if the two sides can't settle their differences through negotiation.

Democrats have said they will not accept redactions and want to see the evidence unfiltered by Barr.

The Judiciary panel also voted Wednesday to authorize subpoenas related to five of President Donald Trump's former top advisers, including strategist Steve Bannon, communications director Hope Hicks, chief of staff Reince Priebus, White House counsel Donald McGahn and counsel Ann Donaldson.

POOL

Washington, DC - 3 April 2019

1. Wide of House Judiciary Committee members on dais

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, (D) New York, Chairman, House Judiciary Commmittee:

"This committee requires the full report and the underlying materials because it is our job, not the attorney general's, to determine whether or not President Trump has abused his office. And we require the report because one day, one way or another, the country will move on from President Trump. We must make it harder for future presidents to behave this way. We need a full accounting of the president's actions to do that work."

3. Wide of committee members

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. David Cicilline, (D) Rhode Island:

"This investigation was conducted on behalf of the American people when our democracy was attacked by a foreign adversary. We fought hard to protect Mr. Mueller, so he could complete his work free from political interference. And now we have a right, this committee has the right and the responsibility to see the full contents of this report and the supporting materials."

5. Mid of committee members

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee:

"Under regulations written by Janet Reno and other Democrats don't require him to do this, but in the name of transparency, he is. He may even furnish us the report as early as next week. Yet the chairman plows ahead. What's the rush?"

7. Wide of committee members

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. John Ratcliffe, (R) Texas:

"Mr. Chairman, today I heard you say over and over again, Congress requires, Congress requires, there are constitutional rights, or there's a necessity for this information. What I didn't hear was what law? The special counsel, where in the special counsel regulation does it say that the special, that the attorney general must turn over an unredacted full Special Counsel report? The special counsel regulation doesn't say that. No law says that."

9. Wide of Judiciary Committee members voting on resolution

The House Judiciary Committee has approved subpoenas for special counsel Robert Mueller's full report on his Russia investigation.

The committee voted 24-17 to give Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., permission to issue subpoenas to the Justice Department for the final report, exhibits and any underlying evidence or materials prepared for Mueller's investigation.

Nadler has not yet said if he'll send the subpoenas.

House Democrats had given Attorney General William Barr until Tuesday to produce the full report to Congress.

The Justice Department ignored that deadline, with Barr telling committee chairmen last week that a redacted version of the full 300-page report would be released by mid-April, "if not sooner."

The vote further escalates the Democrats' battle with the Justice Department over how much of the report they will be able to see, a fight that could eventually end up in court if the two sides can't settle their differences through negotiation.

Democrats have said they will not accept redactions and want to see the evidence unfiltered by Barr.

The Judiciary panel also voted Wednesday to authorize subpoenas related to five of President Donald Trump's former top advisers, including strategist Steve Bannon, communications director Hope Hicks, chief of staff Reince Priebus, White House counsel Donald McGahn and counsel Ann Donaldson.

POOL

Washington, DC - 3 April 2019

1. Wide of House Judiciary Committee members on dais

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, (D) New York, Chairman, House Judiciary Commmittee:

"This committee requires the full report and the underlying materials because it is our job, not the attorney general's, to determine whether or not President Trump has abused his office. And we require the report because one day, one way or another, the country will move on from President Trump. We must make it harder for future presidents to behave this way. We need a full accounting of the president's actions to do that work."

3. Wide of committee members

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. David Cicilline, (D) Rhode Island:

"This investigation was conducted on behalf of the American people when our democracy was attacked by a foreign adversary. We fought hard to protect Mr. Mueller, so he could complete his work free from political interference. And now we have a right, this committee has the right and the responsibility to see the full contents of this report and the supporting materials."

5. Mid of committee members

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee:

"Under regulations written by Janet Reno and other Democrats don't require him to do this, but in the name of transparency, he is. He may even furnish us the report as early as next week. Yet the chairman plows ahead. What's the rush?"

7. Wide of committee members

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. John Ratcliffe, (R) Texas:

"Mr. Chairman, today I heard you say over and over again, Congress requires, Congress requires, there are constitutional rights, or there's a necessity for this information. What I didn't hear was what law? The special counsel, where in the special counsel regulation does it say that the special, that the attorney general must turn over an unredacted full Special Counsel report? The special counsel regulation doesn't say that. No law says that."

9. Wide of Judiciary Committee members voting on resolution

US House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski remained obligated to answer the committee's questions, despite a White House order that he not discuss his confidential conversations with the president.

Lewandowski is testifying at the committee's first official hearing in what the panel is calling an impeachment investigation.

The White House sent Nadler a letter late Monday saying that Lewandowski was not allowed to discuss his conversations with President Donald Trump beyond what is already public in former special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

Nadler said in a letter back to the White House on Tuesday that Nadler must answer questions because the committee has subpoenaed him.

Mueller's investigators detailed two episodes in which Trump asked Lewandowski to direct then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to limit Mueller's investigation.

The Republican members of the committee accused the chairman that the hearing wasn't really about finding out information.

"My majority made a promise, we'll impeach him, we'll investigating," said ranking member Rep. Doug Collins.

"For most of them it happened in November 2016 because they couldn't believe the Donald Trump won. And they still can't get over it today."

POOL

Washington DC - 17 September 2019

1. Various of former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski arriving and sitting at House Judiciary Committee hearing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"Mr. Lewandowski is here and has vital information about presidential obstruction of justice. But the White House wants to limit our and your ability to hear it all. Mr. Lewandowski doubts he was called alone one on one into the Oval Office on June and June 19th 2017 and again on July 19th 2017 and the president is something I find startling. He dictated a speech to Mr Lewandowski. A speech not for Mr Lewandowski but for Attorney General Sessions to deliver, then Attorney General Sessions."

3. Cutaway

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:"As the Mueller Report found limiting the investigation to future elections would have cut off the investigation of any past conduct and struck at the heart of the Special Counsel's mandate. It would have ended the investigation of the president's conduct. The evidence found by the special counsel meant all the elements of obstruction of justice. Mr Lewandowski was nervous about this demand from his former boss, as he should have been. It raised serious questions about criminal conduct and he was recused, forbidden from doing anything regarding the Mueller investigation. He was certainly not allowed to curtail it. So Mr. Lewandowski tried to serendipitously meet with the A.G. When that failed he tried to pass the buck to Mr. Dearborn. Mr. Lewandowski gave Mr. Dearborn the script that had been dictated by the president, all while telling the president that he would follow through when the president's orders"

5. Cutaway

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"So that is what we want to learn, try to learn more about today. As we learned with Special Counsel Muller. Witness testimony is critical to any investigation. But the White House does not want us or the American people to hear this story in full. Late yesterday, the White House sent this a letter claiming that Mr. Lewandowski doubts his conversations with the president quote are protected from disclosure by executive branch confidentiality interests, close quote. They say he may testify about presidential communications that are already disclosed in the Mueller Report. But no more."

7. Cutaway

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"They make that claim despite the fact that Mr. Lewandowski was at all times a private political operative, apparently was not offering advice of any kind, the usual prerequisite for executive privilege and was enlisted for apparent wrongdoing. No court has ever said that the president is entitled to confidentiality, under these circumstances. Indeed the Department of Justice has said executive privilege should not be invoked to conceal evidence of wrongdoing on the part of executive officers."

9. Cutaway

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"The White House is advancing a new and dangerous theory: the crony privilege. It makes absolute immunity look good by comparison. Where are the limits? This is a cover up plain and simple. If it were to prevail, especially while the Judiciary Committee is considering whether to recommend Articles of Impeachment it would upend the separation of powers as envisioned by our founders. And today's cover up is part of a pattern of the White House blocking Congress."

11. Cutaway

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"Well Mr. Lewandowski you are here under subpoena. That means you are required to answer our questions, all our questions completely and truthfully Our investigation also extends beyond the four corners of the Mueller report. We are looking at corruption and abuse of power more broadly. So we will inquire about other subjects as well. We will not be daunted by the cover up. We intend to secure accountability for any wrongdoing, because no one is above the law not even the President of the United States."

13. Cutaway of Lewandowski

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"But here is the problem, 17 of the members of the Judiciary Committee have said that they think the president ought to be impeached, so why are we still investigating it? 17, you get some more, the problem is you don't have the votes. You don't have the numbers, even if you do, if you get it out of this committee you don't have it on the floor. That's your problem. So the thing that we're going to do is we're gonna drag this committee through oversight hearings talking about things have been talked about ad nauseam and nauseam and nauseam, we're going to talk about it, we put filters up we won't say what it really is it really is not. While all the things we're going to try to imply that this president shouldn't be president."

15. Cutaway

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"I understand it's tough making a promise and not keeping it. I understand all of us in this room can relate to a time when we can't make a promise and we couldn't keep it. My majority made a promise, we'll impeach him, we'll investigate him. For most of them it happened in November 2016 because they couldn't believe the Donald Trump won. And they still can't get over it today."

17. Cutaway

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"So what do we do, we have public hearings, lots of flashbulbs, embarrassing the president, not gathering facts, not investigating, not doing oversight. This is certainly not being fair. But we like to issue subpoenas, we are setting a world record at that, 40 times faster than a previous chairman. But we don't want any answers because we're not willing to engage in dialogue to get information from folks."

19. Cutaway

John Dean, a star witness during Watergate who helped bring down the Nixon presidency, testified Monday that special counsel Robert Mueller has provided Congress with a "road map" for investigating President Donald Trump.

Dean, telling the House Judiciary Committee he wanted to provide some historical context, compared Mueller's findings to those of congressional investigators looking into the Nixon administration decades ago.

Dean, who was White House counsel during Richard Nixon's administration, was brought in as a star witness as House Democrats opened three days of sessions aimed at focusing public attention on the findings of the Russia investigation and the president's actions.

"We have a responsibility to do this work, to follow the facts where they lead," said Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., as he gaveled in the hearing.

He said the intent was to make certain "no president, Democrat or Republican, can ever act in this way again."

Monday's hearing is the start of three days of Russia-related action on Capitol Hill. The House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday intends to review the counterintelligence implications of the Russian meddling. Mueller said there was not enough evidence to establish a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but he said he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction.

On Tuesday, the House has scheduled the vote to authorize lawsuits against Barr and former White House counsel Donald McGahn for failing to comply with subpoenas from the Democratic-controlled House. The vote will put the full House on record approving the lawsuits, if leaders and committees decide they want to move forward with them.

Educating the American public on what is in the Mueller report is a priority for Democrats, who believe Trump and his allies have created the public impression that the report said there was no obstruction of justice.

Trump has made that assertion repeatedly, echoing Barr's judgment that there was not enough evidence in the report to support a criminal obstruction charge. Mueller said in the report that he could not exonerate Trump on that point.

The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, dismissed Dean as a "godfather" figure.

POOL

Washington - 10 June 2019

1. Wide, back view of John Dean and witnesses in hearing room

2. Various, Dean and other witnesses taking oath

3. SOUNDBITE (English) John Dean, Richard Nixon's White House counsel:

"The last time I appeared before your committee was July 11, 1974 during the impeachment inquiry of Richard Nixon. Clearly I'm not here today as a fact witness. I accepted the invitation to come here today because I hope I can give a little historical perspective on the Mueller Report. In many ways the Muller report is to President Trump what the so-called Watergate road map, officially titled the Grand Jury Report and Recommendation concerning transmission of evidence to the House of Representatives was to President Richard Nixon. Stated a little differently, Special Counsel Muller has provided this committee with a road map."

4. Cutaway Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler listening

5. SOUNDBITE (English) John Dean, Richard Nixon's White House counsel:

"And I certainly hope Don McGahn is a key witness before this committee. Because of my testimony, the model code of the ABA (American Bar Association) today makes very clear in rule 1.13 that Mr. McGahn represents not Donald Trump but the office of the president. His client is the office of the president and I think he owes that office in his testimony before this committee."

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, Chairman House Judiciary Committee, Democrat - New York:

"We have a responsibility to do this work, to follow the facts where they lead to make recommendations to the whole House if circumstances warrant and to craft legislation that makes certain no president, Democrat or Republican, can ever act in this way again."

7. Close-up Dean looking at copy of Mueller report

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, Chairman House Judiciary Committee, Democrat - New York:

"We were attacked by a foreign adversary. President Trump's campaign took full advantage of the attack when it came. The descriptions of obstruction of justice in Volume Two go to the heart of our legal system. If we can agree on this common set of facts as our starting place and agree to follow the facts of the law where they take us. I believe we can make a great deal of progress in this hearing today."

9. Pan, witnesses

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, Ranking member House Judiciary Committee, Republican - Georgia: ++INCLUDES CUTAWAYS OF DEAN++

"And I'm sort of reminded the Russia priority issue because just a few years ago it was brought up and one of our candidates talked about Russia being a threat. And the former president, Mr. Obama, said you know that the 80s are asking for their foreign policy back. Well guess, what this committee is now hearing from the 70s and they want their star witness back in fact, it's very difficult for one of the witnesses here today ... for many of us who can actually trace the distrust in government back to the witness here today. The 70s star of obstruction. In fact I'll take it a little bit further for those of us who've been looking into this for a while and wonder how we got started here. And for those of us who've heard me discuss the fact that many on our committee and on our side discuss the fight of the corrupt cabal what we see of Strzok, Page, McCabe, Comey and others how we actually got started here. I believe that they have the godfather here today, Mr. Dean. In fact, probably had a picture up. How do we actually use the governmental resources to interfere in other people's campaigns? Mr. Dean is the godfather. They may even have a picture of you, knowing how you do it and that is here today again to talk about a president that obviously you don't like."

11. Mid, Congressmen listening to testimony

John Dean, a star witness during Watergate who helped bring down the Nixon presidency, testified Monday that special counsel Robert Mueller has provided Congress with a "road map" for investigating President Donald Trump.

Dean, telling the House Judiciary Committee he wanted to provide some historical context, compared Mueller's findings to those of congressional investigators looking into the Nixon administration decades ago.

Dean, who was White House counsel during Richard Nixon's administration, was brought in as a star witness as House Democrats opened three days of sessions aimed at focusing public attention on the findings of the Russia investigation and the president's actions.

"We have a responsibility to do this work, to follow the facts where they lead," said Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., as he gaveled in the hearing.

He said the intent was to make certain "no president, Democrat or Republican, can ever act in this way again."

Monday's hearing is the start of three days of Russia-related action on Capitol Hill. The House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday intends to review the counterintelligence implications of the Russian meddling. Mueller said there was not enough evidence to establish a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but he said he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction.

On Tuesday, the House has scheduled the vote to authorize lawsuits against Barr and former White House counsel Donald McGahn for failing to comply with subpoenas from the Democratic-controlled House. The vote will put the full House on record approving the lawsuits, if leaders and committees decide they want to move forward with them.

Educating the American public on what is in the Mueller report is a priority for Democrats, who believe Trump and his allies have created the public impression that the report said there was no obstruction of justice.

Trump has made that assertion repeatedly, echoing Barr's judgment that there was not enough evidence in the report to support a criminal obstruction charge. Mueller said in the report that he could not exonerate Trump on that point.

The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, dismissed Dean as a "godfather" figure.

POOL

Washington - 10 June 2019

1. Wide, back view of John Dean and witnesses in hearing room

2. Various, Dean and other witnesses taking oath

3. SOUNDBITE (English) John Dean, Richard Nixon's White House counsel:

"The last time I appeared before your committee was July 11, 1974 during the impeachment inquiry of Richard Nixon. Clearly I'm not here today as a fact witness. I accepted the invitation to come here today because I hope I can give a little historical perspective on the Mueller Report. In many ways the Muller report is to President Trump what the so-called Watergate road map, officially titled the Grand Jury Report and Recommendation concerning transmission of evidence to the House of Representatives was to President Richard Nixon. Stated a little differently, Special Counsel Muller has provided this committee with a road map."

4. Cutaway Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler listening

5. SOUNDBITE (English) John Dean, Richard Nixon's White House counsel:

"And I certainly hope Don McGahn is a key witness before this committee.  Because of my testimony, the model code of the ABA (American Bar Association) today makes very clear in rule 1.13 that Mr. McGahn represents not Donald Trump but the office of the president.  His client is the office of the president and I think he owes that office in his testimony before this committee."

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, Chairman House Judiciary Committee, Democrat - New York:

"We have a responsibility to do this work, to follow the facts where they lead to make recommendations to the whole House if circumstances warrant and to craft legislation that makes certain no president, Democrat or Republican, can ever act in this way again."

7. Close-up Dean looking at copy of Mueller report

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, Chairman House Judiciary Committee, Democrat - New York:

"We were attacked by a foreign adversary. President Trump's campaign took full advantage of the attack when it came.  The descriptions of obstruction of justice in Volume Two go to the heart of our legal system.  If we can agree on this common set of facts as our starting place and agree to follow the facts of the law where they take us. I believe we can make a great deal of progress in this hearing today."

9. Pan, witnesses

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, Ranking member House Judiciary Committee, Republican - Georgia: ++INCLUDES CUTAWAYS OF DEAN++

"And I'm sort of reminded the Russia priority issue because just a few years ago it was brought up and one of our candidates talked about Russia being a threat. And the former president, Mr. Obama, said you know that the 80s are asking for their foreign policy back. Well guess, what this committee is now hearing from the 70s and they want their star witness back in fact, it's very difficult for one of the witnesses here today ... for many of us who can actually trace the distrust in government back to the witness here today. The 70s star of obstruction.  In fact I'll take it a little bit further for those of us who've been looking into this for a while and wonder how we got started here. And for those of us who've heard me discuss the fact that many on our committee and on our side discuss the fight of the corrupt cabal what we see of Strzok, Page, McCabe, Comey and others how we actually got started here.  I believe that they have the godfather here today, Mr. Dean.  In fact, probably had a picture up. How do we actually use the governmental resources to interfere in other people's campaigns? Mr. Dean is the godfather.  They may even have a picture of you, knowing how you do it and that is here today again to talk about a president that obviously you don't like."

11. Mid, Congressmen listening to testimony

John Dean, a star witness during Watergate who helped bring down the Nixon presidency, testified Monday that special counsel Robert Mueller has provided Congress with a "road map" for investigating President Donald Trump.

Dean, telling the House Judiciary Committee he wanted to provide some historical context, compared Mueller's findings to those of congressional investigators looking into the Nixon administration decades ago.

Dean, who was White House counsel during Richard Nixon's administration, was brought in as a star witness as House Democrats opened three days of sessions aimed at focusing public attention on the findings of the Russia investigation and the president's actions.

"We have a responsibility to do this work, to follow the facts where they lead," said Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., as he gaveled in the hearing.

He said the intent was to make certain "no president, Democrat or Republican, can ever act in this way again."

Monday's hearing is the start of three days of Russia-related action on Capitol Hill. The House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday intends to review the counterintelligence implications of the Russian meddling. Mueller said there was not enough evidence to establish a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but he said he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction.

On Tuesday, the House has scheduled the vote to authorize lawsuits against Barr and former White House counsel Donald McGahn for failing to comply with subpoenas from the Democratic-controlled House. The vote will put the full House on record approving the lawsuits, if leaders and committees decide they want to move forward with them.

Educating the American public on what is in the Mueller report is a priority for Democrats, who believe Trump and his allies have created the public impression that the report said there was no obstruction of justice.

Trump has made that assertion repeatedly, echoing Barr's judgment that there was not enough evidence in the report to support a criminal obstruction charge. Mueller said in the report that he could not exonerate Trump on that point.

The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, dismissed Dean as a "godfather" figure.

POOL

Washington - 10 June 2019

1. Pan, John Dean and other witnesses taking oath

2. SOUNDBITE (English) John Dean, Richard Nixon's White House counsel:

"The last time I appeared before your committee was July 11, 1974 during the impeachment inquiry of Richard Nixon. Clearly I'm not here today as a fact witness. I accepted the invitation to come here today because I hope I can give a little historical perspective on the Mueller Report. In many ways the Muller report is to President Trump what the so-called Watergate road map, officially titled the Grand Jury Report and Recommendation concerning transmission of evidence to the House of Representatives was to President Richard Nixon. Stated a little differently, Special Counsel Muller has provided this committee with a road map."

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, Chairman House Judiciary Committee, Democrat - New York:

"We have a responsibility to do this work, to follow the facts where they lead to make recommendations to the whole House if circumstances warrant and to craft legislation that makes certain no president, Democrat or Republican, can ever act in this way again."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASHES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, Ranking member House Judiciary Committee, Republican - Georgia: ++INCLUDES CUTAWAYS OF DEAN++

"And I'm sort of reminded the Russia priority issue because just a few years ago it was brought up and one of our candidates talked about Russia being a threat. And the former president, Mr. Obama, said you know that the 80s are asking for their foreign policy back. Well guess, what this committee is now hearing from the 70s and they want their star witness back in fact, it's very difficult for one of the witnesses here today ... for many of us who can actually trace the distrust in government back to the witness here today. The 70s star of obstruction.  In fact I'll take it a little bit further for those of us who've been looking into this for a while and wonder how we got started here. And for those of us who've heard me discuss the fact that many on our committee and on our side discuss the fight of the corrupt cabal what we see of Strzok, Page, McCabe, Comey and others how we actually got started here.  I believe that they have the godfather here today, Mr. Dean.  In fact probably had a picture up. How do we actually use the governmental resources to interfere in other people's campaigns? Mr. Dean is the godfather.  They may even have a picture of you, knowing how you do it and that is here today again to talk about a president that obviously you don't like."

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler says former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski remains obligated to answer the committee's questions despite a White House order that he not discuss his confidential conversations with the president.

Lewandowski is testifying at the committee's first official hearing in what the panel is calling an impeachment investigation.

The White House sent Nadler a letter late Monday saying that Lewandowski was not allowed to discuss his conversations with President Donald Trump beyond what is already public in former special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

Nadler said in a letter back to the White House on Tuesday that Nadler must answer questions because the committee has subpoenaed him.

Mueller's investigators detailed two episodes in which Trump asked Lewandowski to direct then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to limit Mueller's investigation.

The Republican members of the committee accused the chairman that the hearing wasn't really about finding out information.

"My majority made a promise, we'll impeach him, we'll investigating," said ranking member Rep. Doug Collins.

"For most of them it happened in November 2016 because they couldn't believe the Donald Trump won. And they still can't get over it today."

POOL

Washington DC - 17 September 2019

1. Various of former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski arriving and sitting at House Judiciary Committee hearing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"Mr. Lewandowski is here and has vital information about presidential obstruction of justice. But the White House wants to limit our and your ability to hear it all. Mr. Lewandowski doubts he was called alone one on one into the Oval Office on June and June 19th 2017 and again on July 19th 2017 and the president is something I find startling. He dictated a speech to Mr Lewandowski. A speech not for Mr Lewandowski but for Attorney General Sessions to deliver, then Attorney General Sessions."

3. Cutaway

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:"As the Mueller Report found limiting the investigation to future elections would have cut off the investigation of any past conduct and struck at the heart of the Special Counsel's mandate. It would have ended the investigation of the president's conduct. The evidence found by the special counsel meant all the elements of obstruction of justice. Mr Lewandowski was nervous about this demand from his former boss, as he should have been. It raised serious questions about criminal conduct and he was recused, forbidden from doing anything regarding the Mueller investigation. He was certainly not allowed to curtail it. So Mr. Lewandowski tried to serendipitously meet with the A.G. When that failed he tried to pass the buck to Mr. Dearborn. Mr. Lewandowski gave Mr. Dearborn the script that had been dictated by the president, all while telling the president that he would follow through when the president's orders"

5. Cutaway

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"So that is what we want to learn, try to learn more about today. As we learned with Special Counsel Muller. Witness testimony is critical to any investigation. But the White House does not want us or the American people to hear this story in full. Late yesterday, the White House sent this a letter claiming that Mr. Lewandowski doubts his conversations with the president quote are protected from disclosure by executive branch confidentiality interests, close quote. They say he may testify about presidential communications that are already disclosed in the Mueller Report. But no more."

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8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"They make that claim despite the fact that Mr. Lewandowski was at all times a private political operative, apparently was not offering advice of any kind, the usual prerequisite for executive privilege and was enlisted for apparent wrongdoing. No court has ever said that the president is entitled to confidentiality, under these circumstances. Indeed the Department of Justice has said executive privilege should not be invoked to conceal evidence of wrongdoing on the part of executive officers."

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10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"The White House is advancing a new and dangerous theory: the crony privilege. It makes absolute immunity look good by comparison. Where are the limits? This is a cover up plain and simple. If it were to prevail, especially while the Judiciary Committee is considering whether to recommend Articles of Impeachment it would upend the separation of powers as envisioned by our founders. And today's cover up is part of a pattern of the White House blocking Congress."

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12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"Well Mr. Lewandowski you are here under subpoena. That means you are required to answer our questions, all our questions completely and truthfully Our investigation also extends beyond the four corners of the Mueller report. We are looking at corruption and abuse of power more broadly. So we will inquire about other subjects as well. We will not be daunted by the cover up. We intend to secure accountability for any wrongdoing, because no one is above the law not even the President of the United States."

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14. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"But here is the problem, 17 of the members of the Judiciary Committee have said that they think the president ought to be impeached, so why are we still investigating it? 17, you get some more, the problem is you don't have the votes. You don't have the numbers, even if you do, if you get it out of this committee you don't have it on the floor. That's your problem. So the thing that we're going to do is we're gonna drag this committee through oversight hearings talking about things have been talked about ad nauseam and nauseam and nauseam, we're going to talk about it, we put filters up we won't say what it really is it really is not. While all the things we're going to try to imply that this president shouldn't be president."

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16. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"I understand it's tough making a promise and not keeping it. I understand all of us in this room can relate to a time when we can't make a promise and we couldn't keep it. My majority made a promise, we'll impeach him, we'll investigate him. For most of them it happened in November 2016 because they couldn't believe the Donald Trump won. And they still can't get over it today."

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18. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"So what do we do, we have public hearings, lots of flashbulbs, embarrassing the president, not gathering facts, not investigating, not doing oversight. This is certainly not being fair. But we like to issue subpoenas, we are setting a world record at that, 40 times faster than a previous chairman. But we don't want any answers because we're not willing to engage in dialogue to get information from folks."

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