Congressional Investigation
30 Articles
The White House Counsel’s Flawed Response to Congress on Security Clearances
Intensifying congressional oversight activity prompted President Donald Trump to accuse Democrats of “presidential harassment.” He complained — falsely — that President…
Questioning Michael Cohen: An Advanced Course in Congressional Investigations
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, has announced his willingness to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee and the House and Senate intelligence…
Will Executive Privilege Block Congress’ Access to Trump-Putin Helsinki Meeting Notes?
Executive privilege looms large as Congress seeks translator's notes about the off-books Trump-Putin meeting in Helsinki. But that is only the beginning of the separation of powers…
The Whitaker Hearing: Potential Executive Privilege and Subpoena Fireworks
It appears acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker allowed an important deadline to pass on the eve of his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Jerrold Nadler…
What the Constitution Says About Trump’s Obstruction of Pelosi’s Afghanistan Trip
President Donald Trump’s retaliation against Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s withdrawing the State of the Union invitation — denying Pelosi’s use of military aircraft to travel…
New House Rules Promote Aggressive Congressional Oversight
The new Democratic majority has taken formal control of the House and has fortified congressional oversight power in its new rules package. At the same time, a lot of additional…
Mueller’s Investigation May Be Coming to an End, But Congress Is Just Getting Started
On January 3, 2019, a new Congress will head to work with a monumental — but not unprecedented — job to tackle. Close observers of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation…
Explainer: The Comey Subpoena Fight–A Face-Saving Surrender and Testimony Deal
Former FBI Director James Comey appears to have capitulated in his legal effort to fight a congressional subpoena to give a closed deposition, but he also walked away with some…
Can Congress Subpoena Trump to Testify?
Now that the Democrats have won control of the House of Representatives, there will be a flood of congressional investigations of waste, fraud, and abuse within the Trump administration,…
(Not So) Fast and Furious Settlement in Congressional Subpoena Case
Efforts to settle lengthy litigation over congressional subpoena power and executive privilege hit a snag this week. Judge Amy Berman Jackson declined to vacate her executive privilege…
What Would National Security Oversight Look Like in a Democratic House?
If Democrats assume control of the House of Representatives after the midterms, there's likely to be a torrent of oversight activity. Andy Wright, a former staff director and counsel…
Contempt Prosecutions Require Comity Between Branches of Government, Now Add Trump
The campaign season for the midterm elections is in full swing, with the Republican majorities in the House and, to a lesser extent, Senate in some peril. Should we have a divided…