Whistle-Blower’s Complaint Is Said to Involve Multiple Acts by Trump

[Bengalzona]

(10-09-2019, 05:20 PM)GMDino Wrote: First things first:

Here's some "light reading" about subpoenas and the Whitewater investigation:

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL31836.pdf

Someone asked Susan McDougal her thoughts on refusing a subpoena too.  This was in 2018 during the Mueller investigation.

McDougal did 18 months in prison for refusing to testify before a grand jury.

Secondly Trump and his minions can wail and gnash their teeth all they want about this but for them to say an impeachment inquiry is unconstitutional shows that they are either dumber than described or more evil.

The GOP has lost all credibility for being the "law and order" party.  And everyone who is backing Trump in this farce is in that same boat.

Some comments on your "light reading":
1) This is a report produced by Congress and for Congress and was based upon certain assumptions that no longer hold true.
2) It is from 2003. As far as the judicial branch (and I am sure you will agree), it is light years from where they were 16 years ago. Under AG Barr, they have already taken unprecedented action of involving themselves by quashing subpoenas.
3) One of the assumptions I mentioned above that no longer holds true is quoted in the report: " On the issue of withholding information from Congress,there are often sharp differences within an Administration, especially between the Justice Department and the agencies."
Congress assumed, at that point in time, that the Justice Department would remain neutral. That is no longer true. The current Justice Department leadership has shown itself to no longer be concerned with political neutrality and to be at one with the Admin.

The Mueller Investigation was through the Justice Department, not Congress. McDougal refused a "judicial subpoena". You cannot do that. It is different with Congressional subpoenas. The judicial subpoenas are backed by the power of the full judicial system (including the FBI and all public police and peace officer services). Congressional subpoenas are backed by the power of the Sergeant-at-Arms for the Congress and/or Senate, who in turn sometimes needs to turn to the Judicial Branch for assistance enforcing. Generally, in the past, the Judicial Branch has supported this enforcement. Things are different now. The Rule of Law has been co-opted for a political cause.

The impeachment process is not unconstitutional. It is very much constitutional. Moreover, obstruction (of justice or Congress) has usually been one of the key complaints for putting an impeachment investigation together. And this Admin has clearly done that repeatedly.