House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler isn’t optimistic that his tentative deadline of May 23 for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to testify before the committee will be met.
According to Politico, Nadler and a senior Democratic committee aide said Friday night that no Mueller hearing is planned for the next week.
“I would assume not,” Nadler said when asked whether Mueller would publicly testify before the upcoming Memorial Day recess that begins next Friday.
However, a Judiciary staffer offered a caveat.
“Mueller could always call us and say, ‘The heck with it, I want to come in Wednesday,’ and we would make time,” the Judiciary staffer said. “But at the moment, no Mueller planned for next week.”
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday night that the White House’s decision to assert executive privilege over special counsel Robert Mueller’s report have stalled negotiations about Mueller’s possible testimony. The assertion blocked the House Judiciary Committee’s subpoenas demanding the underlying evidence and the unredacted version of the Mueller report.
Attorney General William Barr insisted Thursday morning to the WSJ that it was “up to Bob” whether he wants to testify.
Obviously, every little step is going to be like climbing Mount Everest in a snowstorm.
This is what slow-walking looks like:
March 23: Mueller Report Issued
March 25: Nadler writes letter requesting report by April 2
March 29: Barr refuses to release un-redacted report
March 29: Nadler says April 2 still stands
April 2: Barr refuses to release un-redacted report
April 3: The House Judiciary Committee votes to authorize subpoena for report
April 3: Barr refuses to release un-redacted report
April 18: Nadler issues subpoena for report to be delivered May 1
April 29: Nadler targets May 15 for Mueller to testify
May 1: Barr refuses to release un-redacted report and misses subpoena deadline
May 3: Nadler sends a “counter-offer” letter with May 6 deadline
May 6: Barr refuses to release un-redacted report
May 6: House Judiciary Committee schedules vote to hold Barr in contempt on May 8
May 6: Barr refuses to release un-redacted report; DOJ Invites Nadler To “Negotiation”
May 7: Trump and Barr declare Report covered by Executive Privilege
May 8: House Judiciary votes to hold Attorney General Barr in contempt
May 9: Pelosi refuses to schedule full House vote on Contempt motion
May 9: Barr Jokes About ‘Record’ Contempt Vote in speech at DOJ
May 10: Nadler says Mueller will not appear on May 15
May 11: Nadler sends an “offer to compromise” letter to Barr
May 17: Nadler delays Muller testimony until June
Whiners gotta whine…
…not to mention the dogs that haven’t barked
Like “Nadler has not suggested subpoenaing Rosenstein. Or anyone from Mueller’s team”
Slow walking is also about not doing obvious stuff in a timely fashion…
The chair of House Judiciary is reduced to making assumptions about who comes before his committee.