The House Intelligence Committee’s Democratic leadership has scheduled a vote to send potentially explosive transcripts to special counsel Robert Mueller’s desk.
The committee will vote this Wednesday on turning over sensitive Russia probe transcripts to Mueller, in a move that carries serious implications for anyone who can be shown to have lied.
The handover could put President Trump’s eldest son, Don Jr., in the hot seat. Democrats have signaled suspicions that Don Jr. may have been untruthful. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) has said she thinks Don Jr. lied to the committee “on at least two occasions.”
Mueller has already slapped criminal charges on two people for making false statements to the committee in the course of it’s Russia investigation: President Trump’s longtime attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, and former Trump campaign advisor, Roger Stone.
A notice posted to House Intelligence Committee calendar late Friday said members will gather Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 10:00 am. to vote on the “transmission of Certain Committee Transcripts to the Department of Justice.”
The House Intelligence Committee’s Democratic leadership has scheduled a vote to send potentially explosive transcripts to special counsel Robert Mueller’s desk.
The committee will vote this Wednesday on turning over sensitive Russia probe transcripts to Mueller, in a move that carries serious implications for anyone who can be shown to have lied.
The handover could put President Trump’s eldest son, Don Jr., in the hot seat. Democrats have signaled suspicions that Don Jr. may have been untruthful. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) has said she thinks Don Jr. lied to the committee “on at least two occasions.”
Mueller has already slapped criminal charges on two people for making false statements to the committee in the course of it’s Russia investigation: President Trump’s longtime attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, and former Trump campaign advisor, Roger Stone.
A notice posted to House Intelligence Committee calendar late Friday said members will gather Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 10:00 am. to vote on the “transmission of Certain Committee Transcripts to the Department of Justice.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how many transcripts, and which specific witnesses, will be covered under Wednesday’s vote. There are 64 transcripts of testimony, according to a document released by Democrats in March, including 14 marked classified.
Other members of Trump’s inner circle who appeared before the committee include:
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-lawBrad Parscale, digital media director of the 2016 campaignKeith Schiller, Trump’s former bodyguard Erik Prince, founder of the private security firm BlackwaterHope Hicks, former White House communications directorFelix Sater, a former Trump real estate associate Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House chief strategistAlexander Nix, former CEO of the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica
A total of 73 witnesses appeared before the committee, according to a report released this year by its former Republican leadership.
House intel committee chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif) has said for weeks that turning over transcripts to the special counsel’s office would be one of his first moves after Democrats took control of the committee following November’s midterm election.
But the committee was delayed from launching its work after Republicans postponed officially naming their slate of members. The slowdown prompted grumblings from Democrats that the hold-up might be intentional so as to hamper the committee’s work.
Rep. Speier has accused Republican minority leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif) of “sabotaging the work of this committee” with the delay, a charge he’s denied.
Mueller has reportedly had informal access to the documents, although his team of prosecutors would need certified copies in order to file criminal charges against anyone who lied under oath.
Last week, acting Attorney General Whitaker said Mueller’s investigation is “close to being completed,” although he declined to give more details. His brief comments left observers wondering whether Mueller might be weeks or months away from being done.
Cover: In this Nov. 28, 2018, file photo, Donald Trump Jr., center, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, right, depart following the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
