FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus121022

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said his committee is filing a court petition Friday in an effort to obtain secret grand jury material underlying former special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

The panel is also expected to file a lawsuit next week to try to enforce a subpoena against former White House counsel Donald McGahn, a key Mueller witness, if he doesn't comply before then.

That suit is expected to challenge the White House's claim that former White House employees have "absolute immunity" from testifying before Congress.

The move comes after Mueller's testimony Wednesday to Congress saying he had not "exculpated" President Donald Trump. Democrats are trying to focus public attention on Mueller's words and on his 448-page report's contents, including several episodes in which Trump sought to influence the special counsel's investigation into Russia election interference.

Mueller concluded that he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice. He also concluded that there was no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump's campaign and Russia.

The panel has struggled to bring in witnesses like McGahn who spoke extensively to Mueller because the White House has directed them to refuse to testify. Trump has said he will fight "all of the subpoenas."

Nadler said the committee is still negotiating with McGahn for documents and testimony, and the committee will file the lawsuit "in very short order" if he does not comply.

The court battles are beginning as the House leaves for a six-week recess and Democrats are debating whether to impeach the Republican president. More than 90 House Democrats have said they favor starting the impeachment process, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she wants to build the strongest case possible before making that decision, including by going to court to force witnesses to comply.

Nadler said the court filing will include a line saying that the materials are necessary "to determine whether the committee should recommend articles of impeachment."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 26 July 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman: ++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAID++

"Before he (Robert Mueller) ever stepped into our hearing room, the director had rendered our country a great and necessary public service. He showed through his report and his indictments that the United States was attacked and remains under siege by a foreign adversary. He showed that the Trump campaign both welcomed and benefited from this attack on our country. And he showed that the president repeatedly lied to cover it up."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASHES++

POOL

Washington - 24 July 2019

2. Various Robert Mueller testifying

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 26 July 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"We will continue to seek testimony from key fact witnesses.  As many of you know the committee has authorized several additional subpoenas. Our work will continue into the August recess and we will use those subpoenas, if we must. We will also continue to seek important documents from the Department of Justice and the White House. We have made some progress on this front. There appears to be compelling evidence of the President's misconduct outside of the four corners of the redacted version of the Mueller Report. And we will work to uncover that evidence as well. Finally, today we are filing an application for the grand jury material underlying the Mueller report. That information is critically important for our ability to examine witnesses including former White House counsel Don McGahn and to investigate the president's misconduct. I will not comment on reports of our ongoing negotiations with Mr. McGahn but unless he complies with our accommodation efforts in very short order we expect to file an additional suit to enforce a subpoena for his testimony and that would be next week or earlier next week."

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

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."

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