Pelosi Cites ‘Examples of Progress’ in Trump Accountability After Briefing

Pelosi Cites ‘Examples of Progress’ in Trump Accountability After Briefing

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Janet Ybarra
Democrat
Former Washington Journalist
Contributor on The Bipartisan Press

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Although House Democrats have been increasingly frustrated as they attempt to investigate Donald Trump, his administration and his private business, they have seen several “examples of progress” in recent days, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Trump administration officials at the highest levels, including Attorney General William “Bill” Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn, have ignored multiple subpoenas from the Democratic-controlled House, to the consternation of a growing number of Democrats.

Pelosi met Wednesday with House Democrats on recent court successes and Democrats’ oversight efforts.

Five House committee chairs who are leading oversight of the Trump administration presented to their House Democratic colleagues, Pelosi told reporters after the meeting.

In particular, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) talked about a major decision Monday in federal court which was very favorable: the court ruled in favor of that Trump’s accountants must abide by a subpoena and begin turning Trump’s financial information over to House Democrats as early as next week.

House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) discussed the status of a similar court case, in which that committee is seeking Trump financial data from Deutsche Bank, a case which is being heard in court in New York Wednesday. Deutsche Bank reportedly been Trump’s primary lender for years.


Lastly, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif) briefed on a new agreement with the Justice Department on documents that Justice officials now have decided are willing to present to the intelligence panel — on the condition that the committee, in return, hold off on taking contempt action against Barr.

“So, there were three current, within the last 72 hours, examples of progress that was made to get the truth and the facts for the American people,” Pelosi said.

Another briefing, by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.), on the as-of-yet unresolved matter of requesting Trump’s tax return information from the IRS, per a 1924 federal law which requires the IRS to comply.

However, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig continue to flout that law by refusing to turn over the requested tax data.

“It was a very positive meeting, a respectful sharing of ideas and a very impressive presentation by our chairs,” Pelosi said. “We do believe it’s important to follow the facts, we believe that no one is above the law, including the president of the United States, and we believe that the president of the United States is engaged in a cover-up – in a cover-up. And that was the nature of the meeting.”



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