OMB and State department officials subpoenaed in House impeachment inquiry
House Democratic impeachment investigators have issued subpoenas to three Trump administration officials whose testimony was previously scheduled, in a sign the Democrats are trying to compel testimony from Trump officials who are apparently reluctant to appear.
The committees said subpoenas have been issued to acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, OMB’s Associate Director of National Security Programs Michael Duffey and State Department Counselor Ulrich Brechbuhl. The subpoenas call for Duffey to appear on November 5 and Vought and Brechbuhl to testify on November 6.
The committees leading the Democratic impeachment inquiry — Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight — have issued subpoenas to current State Department and Pentagon officials the morning of their testimony, in an effort to combat the Trump administration directing officials not to participate. But these appear to be the first subpoenas that would seek testimony from officials who were unwilling to testify when they had been initially scheduled.
It’s not clear whether the subpoenas will prompt any of the three officials to participate. All had been scheduled for depositions earlier this month that were then removed from the deposition calendar.
Both OMB and the State Department — in addition to other federal agencies and the White House — have already failed to comply with House subpoenas from the impeachment inquiry for documents.
Vought tweeted on Monday that he and Duffey would not participate in their depositions that had been scheduled for this week.
“As the (White House) letter made clear two weeks ago, OMB officials – myself and Mike Duffey – will not be complying with deposition requests this week,” Vought tweeted.
The committees leading the Democratic impeachment inquiry — Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight — have issued subpoenas to current State Department and Pentagon officials who have appeared for closed-door depositions on the morning of their testimony, in an effort to combat the Trump administration directing officials not to participate. But these appear to be the first subpoenas that would seek testimony from officials who were unwilling to testify when they had been initially scheduled.
The three chairmen signaled in their letters to the officials that defying the subpoenas would become part of their case of obstruction of the impeachment inquiry.
“Your failure or refusal to appear at the deposition, including at the direction or behest of the President or the White House, shall constitute evidence of obstruction of the House’s impeachment inquiry and may be used as an adverse inference against the President,” the lawmakers wrote.
This story has been updated with additional developments Friday.
