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| House Schedules First Hearing on Mueller’s Findings, Without Mueller | House Schedules First Hearing on Mueller’s Findings, Without Mueller |
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| WASHINGTON — House Democrats, grasping for ways to bring the special counsel’s report to life, said on Monday that they would convene a series of hearings focused on Robert S. Mueller III’s findings, even if the special counsel himself would not be on the witness stand for now. | WASHINGTON — House Democrats, grasping for ways to bring the special counsel’s report to life, said on Monday that they would convene a series of hearings focused on Robert S. Mueller III’s findings, even if the special counsel himself would not be on the witness stand for now. |
| The first star witness, in fact, will come from another era and another presidential scandal: John W. Dean, President Richard M. Nixon’s White House counsel who told the Senate in June 1973 that the president had been directly involved in the Watergate cover-up. | The first star witness, in fact, will come from another era and another presidential scandal: John W. Dean, President Richard M. Nixon’s White House counsel who told the Senate in June 1973 that the president had been directly involved in the Watergate cover-up. |
| The hearing, scheduled for June 10 with the House Judiciary Committee, is not exactly the showcase Democrats had hoped for, but it will allow lawmakers on the panel traditionally charged with carrying out impeachment proceedings to fully air Mr. Mueller’s findings for the first time. | The hearing, scheduled for June 10 with the House Judiciary Committee, is not exactly the showcase Democrats had hoped for, but it will allow lawmakers on the panel traditionally charged with carrying out impeachment proceedings to fully air Mr. Mueller’s findings for the first time. |
| So far, Democrats’ requests for testimony from key witnesses in the Mueller investigation have been blocked by the Trump administration, and Mr. Mueller himself has yet to agree to appear on Capitol Hill despite delivering a rare public statement last week. | So far, Democrats’ requests for testimony from key witnesses in the Mueller investigation have been blocked by the Trump administration, and Mr. Mueller himself has yet to agree to appear on Capitol Hill despite delivering a rare public statement last week. |
| “While the White House continues to cover up and stonewall, and to prevent the American people from knowing the truth, we will continue to move forward with our investigation,” Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the committee’s chairman, said in a statement. “These hearings will allow us to examine the findings laid out in Mueller’s report so that we can work to protect the rule of law and protect future elections through consideration of legislative and other remedies.” | “While the White House continues to cover up and stonewall, and to prevent the American people from knowing the truth, we will continue to move forward with our investigation,” Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the committee’s chairman, said in a statement. “These hearings will allow us to examine the findings laid out in Mueller’s report so that we can work to protect the rule of law and protect future elections through consideration of legislative and other remedies.” |
| The Judiciary Committee is not the only panel trying to fight back against a refusal by the executive branch to comply with oversight demands. | The Judiciary Committee is not the only panel trying to fight back against a refusal by the executive branch to comply with oversight demands. |
| The chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee said on Monday that he would schedule a vote to hold Attorney General William P. Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas for documents related to the administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The chairman, Representative Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, gave the two officials until Thursday to relent. | The chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee said on Monday that he would schedule a vote to hold Attorney General William P. Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas for documents related to the administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The chairman, Representative Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, gave the two officials until Thursday to relent. |
| The Judiciary Committee has already voted to recommend Mr. Barr be held in contempt for defiance of another subpoena, for Mr. Mueller’s full, unredacted report and the evidence underlying it. Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, told fellow lawmakers at a private meeting on Monday that the House would vote on a package of contempt citations on June 11, according to two aides familiar with his remarks. The details of the package are still being worked out, but will almost certainly include Mr. Barr. | |
| Mr. Nadler said his committee’s first hearing, “Lessons From the Mueller Report: Presidential Obstruction and Other Crimes,” would zero in on “the most overt acts of obstruction” documented by Mr. Mueller. The special counsel’s 448-page report detailed at least 10 cases of possible obstruction by President Trump as he sought to thwart investigators studying his campaign’s ties to Russia and its efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. | Mr. Nadler said his committee’s first hearing, “Lessons From the Mueller Report: Presidential Obstruction and Other Crimes,” would zero in on “the most overt acts of obstruction” documented by Mr. Mueller. The special counsel’s 448-page report detailed at least 10 cases of possible obstruction by President Trump as he sought to thwart investigators studying his campaign’s ties to Russia and its efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. |
| In addition to Mr. Dean — who has frequently appeared on cable television to warn that Mr. Trump’s behavior is worse than Nixon’s — witnesses will include former United States attorneys and other legal experts. Mr. Nadler said hearings on related topics would follow in the coming weeks, but he did not offer dates. | In addition to Mr. Dean — who has frequently appeared on cable television to warn that Mr. Trump’s behavior is worse than Nixon’s — witnesses will include former United States attorneys and other legal experts. Mr. Nadler said hearings on related topics would follow in the coming weeks, but he did not offer dates. |
| Republicans, who oppose any additional investigation, mocked the announcement. Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona, a member of the Judiciary Committee, accused Democrats of seeking to stage “make believe” reasons to impeach Mr. Trump. | Republicans, who oppose any additional investigation, mocked the announcement. Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona, a member of the Judiciary Committee, accused Democrats of seeking to stage “make believe” reasons to impeach Mr. Trump. |
| “Instead of hearing from the architect of the flawed Mueller report,” Mr. Biggs said, “Democrats are now calling a biased witness, who was convicted of criminal charges for his role in the Watergate scandal and who has called President Trump a ‘nitwit,’ to help frame a narrative for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.” | |
| The committee already has outstanding subpoenas for testimony from two more key witnesses this month. But neither witness — Hope Hicks, a former White House communications director, or Annie Donaldson, the chief of staff to the former White House counsel — is likely to show. Ms. Donaldson’s boss, Donald F. McGahn II, whose extensive testimony to Mr. Mueller about Mr. Trump’s behavior drew comparisons to Mr. Dean, has already defied a subpoena and refused to speak. | The committee already has outstanding subpoenas for testimony from two more key witnesses this month. But neither witness — Hope Hicks, a former White House communications director, or Annie Donaldson, the chief of staff to the former White House counsel — is likely to show. Ms. Donaldson’s boss, Donald F. McGahn II, whose extensive testimony to Mr. Mueller about Mr. Trump’s behavior drew comparisons to Mr. Dean, has already defied a subpoena and refused to speak. |
| The new hearings come as Democrats are struggling to focus the public’s attention on Mr. Mueller’s dense report. In the weeks since the redacted report was first released publicly, the House has been bogged down in a series of bitter fights with the White House and the Justice Department over documents and witnesses that have overshadowed the conclusions themselves. | |
| Talks with Mr. Mueller’s team have not been more fruitful, with the two sides unable to reach agreeable terms for testimony. Mr. Mueller made clear during his public appearance last week at the Justice Department that his preference was not to testify. Democrats, so far, have been reluctant to issue a subpoena demanding that he appear. | Talks with Mr. Mueller’s team have not been more fruitful, with the two sides unable to reach agreeable terms for testimony. Mr. Mueller made clear during his public appearance last week at the Justice Department that his preference was not to testify. Democrats, so far, have been reluctant to issue a subpoena demanding that he appear. |
| Nearly all Democratic lawmakers agree that has to change, but they are at odds over how to bring Mr. Mueller before the television cameras. A growing number of party officials, including more than 50 House members, have endorsed opening an impeachment inquiry to raise the stakes of continuing obstruction of justice and abuse of power inquiries. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team remain staunchly opposed to the idea unless Democrats can make a persuasive case to the broader American public. | Nearly all Democratic lawmakers agree that has to change, but they are at odds over how to bring Mr. Mueller before the television cameras. A growing number of party officials, including more than 50 House members, have endorsed opening an impeachment inquiry to raise the stakes of continuing obstruction of justice and abuse of power inquiries. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team remain staunchly opposed to the idea unless Democrats can make a persuasive case to the broader American public. |