Nadler Threatens Barr With Subpoena Over Dispute Regarding Hearing Rules

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) speaks to reporters after attending an event in Manhattan on March 25, 2019 in New York City. Nadler said yesterday that his ... NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) speaks to reporters after attending an event in Manhattan on March 25, 2019 in New York City. Nadler said yesterday that his committee will call Attorney General William Barr to testify now that special counsel Robert Mueller has completed his report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said Sunday that Attorney General Bill Barr is “not going to tell the committee how to conduct its hearing, period.”

The blunt statement from Nadler came as CNN reported that Barr objected to the conditions Nadler set for Barr’s upcoming appearance before the committee.

“The witness is not going to tell the committee how to conduct its hearing, period,” Nadler told CNN.

If Barr doesn’t comply with the committee’s requests, Nadler said, “then we will have to subpoena him, and we will have to use whatever means we can to enforce the subpoena.”

Per an unnamed committee source “with knowledge of the matter,” Barr may respond to Nadler’s hearing format by not showing up at all.

Per the source, Nadler wants all committee members to have five minutes of questioning each, and also for each party’s counsels to be able to participate during an additional 30 minutes of questioning per side.

But, per the source, Barr has objected to being questioned by committee lawyers. Another unnamed source confirmed that stance to CNN.

The Washington Post subsequently confirmed the dispute and quoted an unnamed Justice Department official as saying: “Our position is the attorney general agreed to appear before Congress … Therefore, members are the ones who do the questioning.”

This post has been updated.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for tena tena says:

    Impeach William Barr!

  2. Respectfully, Mr. Nadler, don’t threaten. ISSUE IT!

  3. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    How is it possible that a supposedly eminent, veteran Washington lawyer, product of the best schools in America, and currently occupying the highest law enforcement position in the country is too much a coward to do what ordinary American citizens, such as Dr. Blasy-Ford have done?

    A very bad week for the two highest ranking LEOs in the land. Rosenstein and now, again, Barr. They’re both incredibly weak-minded, spineless cowards aiding and abetting ongoing corruption.

  4. Avatar for jeffs jeffs says:

    Nadler: "…and we will have to use whatever means we can to enforce the subpoena.”

    This is just frustrating. If conventional rules don’t apply (and they don’t), where are the teeth?

  5. Give them plenty of rope, they’re pretty good at forming nooses…

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

85 more replies

Participants

Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for jackster Avatar for cervantes Avatar for krusher Avatar for rollinnolan Avatar for mickeyg Avatar for gr Avatar for leftcoaster Avatar for serendipitoussomnambulist Avatar for pshah Avatar for blaneyboy324 Avatar for tena Avatar for tsp Avatar for Ken_a_roni Avatar for patl Avatar for khyber900 Avatar for lisaaug Avatar for brian512 Avatar for j_publicus Avatar for seamus42 Avatar for dominic Avatar for gargoyle Avatar for emiliano4

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: