Mark Meadows, leader of the Freedom Caucus, says that lawmakers will be sending subpoenas compelling people to testify before various committees and that several of them really do not want to testify at all.
It is the latest salvo in the war between Congress and the increasingly corrupt FBI and the DOJ. Both have been hiding material that is essential to getting to the bottom of Mueller’s witch hunt. Recently we found out that Rod Rosenstein had been hiding a text exchange between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page in which Strzok said that they would stop Donald Trump from becoming president.
Rep Meadows said:
“What we’re continuing to find … is additional information from DOJ and FBI that has literally been hidden from Congress’s oversight role for nine months.”
“So we’re at the point where the frustration has reached a level that we’ve got to deal with it. Issuing subpoenas to compel people to come in and testify — some of them who really I think want to testify, want to make sure that we clean this up — will be actually forthcoming in days where we’ll get them to come in.”
One possibility is that Congress could call on some two dozen or so FBI agents who are willing to testify but only if subpoenaed. The reason for that is so that the FBI can’t retaliate against them. Also, the bureau could try to bankrupt them like they did with Gen Michael Flynn. If they are subpoenaed, the Congress would foot any legal bills they would incur over their testimony.
While the conservative lawmakers have received thousands of documents from the agency, they say they have not been able to review key documents nor have they received as many documents as they’ve requested, leading to rising tensions between Republicans and federal officials.
Meadows and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) introduced a legislative measure last week seeking to compel the DOJ to comply with outstanding congressional subpoenas related to the FBI’s decision-making during the 2016 election, including its handling of the probe into 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton‘s use of a private email server while secretary of State.
We need more action and less talk from Congress. They have the tools but they must use them to be effective.