WASHINGTON — The Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, seeking additional closed-door testimony as part of lawmakers’ ongoing probe of Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election, according to people familiar with the summons.
Trump Jr. has been a focus of several probes – including special counsel Robert Mueller III’s investigation – over his involvement in a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer who promised dirt on the Hillary Clinton campaign. Congressional Democrats believe that, during his previous turns on Capitol Hill, Trump Jr. may have lied to investigators about that meeting and whether he told President Trump that the meeting would take place.
News of the subpoena was first reported by Axios.
Trump Jr. is “exasperated” by the committee’s actions, according to a person who has discussed the subpoena with him, because he already “offered to continue to cooperate in writing.”
“From his view, Don Jr. thinks they just want a PR stunt,” the person said.
But the Intelligence Committee has been trying to schedule a second interview with Trump Jr. for weeks, according to people familiar with the negotiations, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because the matter is supremely sensitive. The panel is bringing back several key witnesses for second interviews to give lawmakers a chance to question people previously interviewed only by staff.
Maine Sens. Susan Collins, a Republican, and Angus King, an independent, both members of the Intelligence Committee, declined to comment Wednesday. “As members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senators Collins and King cannot discuss specific witness engagements. Throughout the investigation, both senators have said publicly that the committee would need to re-interview some witnesses,” they said in a joint statement.
Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, appeared for a second closed-door interview with the committee in late March. After Mueller’s report was published, Democrats raised concerns that Kushner also may have lied to lawmakers about a business associate’s collaboration with a Russian banker close to the Kremlin on a project to revamp U.S.-Russia relations.
But concerns about Trump Jr.’s statements are potentially more problematic for the president. According to a transcript of Trump Jr.’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, he told lawmakers that he never told his father about the Trump Tower meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Trump Jr.’s testimony to other committees was in line with the account he gave to the Senate Judiciary panel, several Democrats said.
Yet in Mueller’s report, the president’s former lawyer Michael Cohen said he recalled being in Trump’s office when Trump Jr. told him about a meeting to get “adverse information” on Clinton. Cohen told Mueller’s team that it appeared the two had discussed the subject before.
Mueller never interviewed Trump Jr. Cohen is currently serving a three-year prison term for lying to Congress and financial crimes.
The subpoena comes as the Trump administration is warring with House Democrats over their investigations into potential obstruction of justice, financial crimes, and the Trump campaign’s contacts with foreign officials. The president has asserted executive privilege over the entire Mueller report – a move that will complicate Congress’ efforts to interview people who cooperated with the special counsel’s probe.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., appeared to take Trump’s side Tuesday, declaring that matters Mueller investigated were closed. But thus far, the Senate Intelligence Committee, led by Republican Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., has escaped pressure to end its probe.
The Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation has been Congress’ most bipartisan. Yet if Trump Jr. flouts the panel’s subpoena, it puts Burr in the awkward position of potentially taking Trump Jr. to court as Trump continues his standoff with the House.
Burr told The Post this week that he was not inclined to pursue Trump Jr. for perjury over any potential lies, as Mueller did not charge him.
“I would assume that they made a determination either that they weren’t criminal or they weren’t chargeable,” Burr said. “I’m not interested in re-litigating any of Bob Mueller’s conclusions.”
Burr told The Post this week that he was not inclined to pursue Trump Jr. for perjury over any potential lies, as Mueller did not charge him.
“I would assume that they made a determination either that they weren’t criminal or they weren’t chargeable,” Burr said. “I’m not interested in re-litigating any of Bob Mueller’s conclusions.”
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