US House approves authority to sue Trump advisers who ignore subpoenas

WASHINGTON - The Democratic-led US House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to give lawmakers clear authority to sue Trump administration figures who defy congressional subpoenas, beginning with former White House Counsel Don McGahn, who is expected to face swift action.

In an escalation of wide-ranging probes of President Donald Trump and his inner circle, lawmakers voted 229-191 along party lines to approve the measure. It authorizes House committees to file lawsuits in federal court seeking orders from judges to compel officials to cooperate with official congressional demands for testimony or evidence.

The measure authorizes the House Judiciary Committee to seek a court order enforcing subpoenas relating to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election. The committee is seeking an unredacted version of the report, as well as underlying evidence from the investigation, and related documents and testimony.

Democrats acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the resolution.

"This has not been done before. But neither have we ever seen blanket stonewalling by the administration of all information requests by the House," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said. "We must go to court to enforce the subpoenas."

Nadler said he would go to court "as quickly as possible" against McGahn to compel him to testify about the Republican president's efforts to impede Mueller's investigation.

McGahn, a star witness in the Mueller report, last month defied a subpoena for his testimony and documents after the White House directed him not to cooperate with the Judiciary panel.

Nadler said other witnesses, such as former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks and former McGahn aide Annie Donaldson, would also face court action if they defy committee subpoenas demanding their testimony later this month.

The measure also reinforces a process for other panels to take similar action. Half a dozen House panels are looking into Trump's presidency and personal holdings.

Tuesday's measure also authorizes the House Judiciary Committee to petition a federal judge for permission to access grand jury evidence from the Mueller probe, a step that Nadler said the committee will now take promptly.

Reuters