Jim Jordan Makes White House An Offer Elijah Cummings Has Already Refused

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a key member and founder of the conservative Freedom Caucus, arrives for a TV interview at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 23, 2017, as the GOP's long-promised legislation to repeal and replace "Obamacare" comes to a showdown vote. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a key member and founder of the conservative Freedom Caucus, arrives for a TV interview at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 23, 2017, as the GOP's long-promised legislation to repea... Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a key member and founder of the conservative Freedom Caucus, arrives for a TV interview at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 23, 2017, as the GOP's long-promised legislation to repeal and replace "Obamacare" comes to a showdown vote. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) has made the White House an offer House Democrats have already refused: to allow a government lawyer to attend an interview of former White House personnel security director Carl Kline.

In an April 26 letter to White House counsel Pat Cipollone, Jordan suggests that the White House make Kline available for a “voluntary transcribed interview,” before he faces contempt of Congress proceedings next week.

Voluntary interviews differ from committee depositions in part by allowing agency lawyers to attend the interview along with its subject.

Under Trump’s direction, the White House is refusing to allow Kline to testify before the House Oversight Committee in response to a subpoena from Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), conditioning Kline’s testimony on having a lawyer from the office of White House counsel present at the interview.

Kline is accused of retaliating against a whistleblower who raised concerns about 25 security clearances for White House officials and contractors being overturned.

Cummings said that he plans to hold Kline in contempt of Congress for his refusal to testify, with Jordan injecting himself into the discussion with his letter.

“To avoid unnecessary conflict between Congress and the Executive Branch on to de-escalate Chairman Cummings’s orchestrated inter-branch confrontation, I write to ask whether Mr. Kline would agree to appear for a voluntary transcribed interview with Committee staff on April 30, or May 1, 2019,” Jordan wrote.

A Cummings spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Notable Replies

  1. Would that he had defended the kids in the wrestling program with a third of the passion he defends Trump.

  2. Avatar for tpr tpr says:

    Next up: Jim Jordan writes sad open letter lamenting that nobody wants to play footsie with him anymore.

    Go spend your pile of wooden nickels somewhere else, you ridiculous tool.

  3. A bit of a blink, but this is where Cummings needs to get the contempt vote in and impose his will. The House needs to demonstrate dominance. If Pelosi’s go slow, quasi impeachment approach is going to work, then they have to drop the hammer on everyone who refuses to testify.

  4. A chink in the armor…But I trust Gym J. as The Roadrunner trusts Wile E.

  5. Avatar for krux krux says:

    We are once again in the land of make believe where the Dems do not control the House;

    part of the T-boy 0-dimension strategy of “I can’t hear you” that the GOP seems to be on board with.

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