U.S. House panel subpoenas DHS over alleged Trump pardon offers

By David Morgan

 

FILE PHOTO: Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 26, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on Wednesday subpoenaed the Department of Homeland Security for documents that could shed light on President Donald Trump's alleged offer of pardons to officials implementing U.S. immigration policy.

 

The committee, which is considering whether to recommend impeachment against Trump, cited press reports that the president offered pardons to officials should they face legal action for following his instructions to close a section of the U.S.-Mexico border, aggressively seize private property and disregard environmental rules in erecting a border fence.

 

"The dangling of pardons by the president to encourage government officials to violate federal law would constitute another reported example of the president's disregard for the rule of law," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrod Nadler said in a statement.

 

Neither the White House nor DHS responded immediately to requests for comment.

 

The subpoena gives acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan until 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) on Sept 17 to turn over a number of documents, notes and communications, including those related to March 21 and April 5 meetings between Trump and DHS officials.

 

The House panel is heading for what could be a politically explosive period in its investigation of the Trump presidency. Democrats are gathering evidence of alleged misconduct by the president and planning hearings in hopes of deciding by the end of the year whether to recommend his impeachment to the full House of Representatives.

 

Last month, the committee subpoenaed testimony from Trump's former campaign chairman Corey Lewandowski and two White House aides. The three men were cited in former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation report as witnesses to actions by which Democrats say Trump sought to obstruct the probe.

 

Mueller also documented the role of pardons in alleged efforts by Trump to dissuade his former campaign manager Paul Manafort and former lawyer Michael Cohen from cooperating with federal investigators.

 

In addition to possible obstruction and pardon dangling, the House committee is investigating alleged hush payments made before the 2016 presidential election to two women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump and the president's business dealings that could violate constitutional restrictions against officials receiving profits from foreign and domestic governments.

 

(Reporting by Eric Beech and David Morgan; Editing by Leslie Adler, Tom Brown and Sonya Hepinstall)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-05

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Imo the most corrupt potus ever certainly in my lifetime 

Look's like a chap who wishes to avoid prison.

 

He looked uncomfortable today in the WH next to the "Alabama Getaway" Sharpie-enhanced map.

 

Nadler?  what a larf!  would you buy a used car from that guy?

Drain that swamp.  Such hypocrisy.

Edited September 5, 20196 yr by lapd

It's not a lawful order. Get that through your head.

15 hours ago, webfact said:

"The dangling of pardons by the president to encourage government officials to violate federal law would constitute another reported example of the president's disregard for the rule of law," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrod Nadler said in a statement.

Can't take this moron  serious any more! How many subpoenas has he issued that are meaningless. A considering impeachment committee, by the house dems! Over and over again and again 

Edited September 5, 20196 yr by riclag

Troll posts  and replies removed.

 

On 9/5/2019 at 2:43 AM, BobBKK said:

Nadler?  what a larf!  would you buy a used car from that guy?

Pathetic deflection !

Do you support the offer of pardons for those who break the law.

No more deflection , just a hypothetical yes or no please.

On 9/6/2019 at 10:42 PM, joecoolfrog said:

Pathetic deflection !

Do you support the offer of pardons for those who break the law.

No more deflection , just a hypothetical yes or no please.

Hypothetical is all you have in your toolbox.

I’ve said for a long while now, Trump needs to focus on prison reforms.

On 9/4/2019 at 6:43 PM, BobBKK said:

Nadler?  what a larf!  would you buy a used car from that guy?

Trump what a con man would you buy a condo from him?

Just now, Tug said:

Trump what a con man would you buy a condo from him?

Or a degree from Trump University?

31 minutes ago, heybruce said:

Or a degree from Trump University?

If you want one they are much cheaper, and just as good, on Khao San Road.

555

 

My contention is why wasn't there someone in authority to get on his case about these things from the beginning?  It's about time the Dems are waking up, after 2 years of saying "ooo, he can't do that!"  People have been showing up at demonstrations with signs saying "DO SOMETHING!"

 

 

Edited September 8, 20196 yr by bendejo

On 9/9/2019 at 3:14 AM, Tug said:

Trump what a con man would you buy a condo from him?

Indeed not!  he's an unbalanced megalomaniac but USA deserves him for all their pc silliness!  get rid of that and restore balance and he stands no chance.

I hope congress gets Trump kicked out of office soon so they can get started on Pence. Then, when they get rid of Pence, they can get back to the business of taking care of business under President Pelosi! ????