A New Showdown Between Congress, Don McGhan, and The White House is About to Begin

As the American people continue to clamor for the information deep within the Mueller report, there is major tension on Capitol Hill.

Congress is demanding to see the full, un-redacted report, and this is causing a major headache for Attorney General Bill Barr.  On one hand, he has previously expressed interest in as much transparency as possible regarding the tales of Russian election interference detailed in the report.  On the other hand, a divulging of the full report to Congress would almost inevitably lead to a leak of the document – something that would damage a number of ongoing investigations and expose the identities whose grand jury testimony must remain secret.

As Barr continues to stonewall Congress, legislative leaders are summoning others involved in the creation of the report to provide testimony – something that the White House is actively working to discourage these targets from doing.

Don McGhan, former White House counsel, is one of these folks that Congress would like to have a word with.

They’ve even given him a date and a time…now they just have to hope that he shows up.

The hearing is slated for next Tuesday, May 21, at 10 a.m., and is intended to focus on special counsel Robert Mueller’s report of his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and President Donald Trump. McGahn was a key witness in Mueller’s probe into whether the president attempted to obstruct justice and disrupt the inquiry.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., subpoenaed McGahn in April for his testimony and documents related to the Mueller probe — but last week, the White House directed McGahn not to comply. Separately, McGahn’s lawyer, William Burck, told Nadler in a letter that McGahn “continues to owe certain duties and obligations to the president which he is not free to disregard” and that “the appropriate response for Mr. McGahn is to maintain the status quo unless and until the committee and the executive branch can reach an accommodation.”

McGhan’s non-compliance with the Congressional request could find him in a similar fate to Attorney General Barr – saddled with a contempt charge and waiting for possible arrest by the Sergeant at Arms in The Capitol.