Darren Samuelsohn
@dsamuelsohn

House Democrats hope to make an end run around Trump’s executive privilege by calling witnesses like Corey Lewandowski and Chris Christie. https://politi.co/2MQHjR7 @politico

12:47 PM - 17 Jun 2019
Read all about it here. Not everyone thinks it's such a great idea, although they say they'd look forward to it. Joe DiGenova is one of those, and he offers the example of a previous attempt to browbeat Corey Lewandowski. Follow the embedded link below for the unexpurgated version of Lewandowski's, um, remarks to House Dems on that previous occasion:
But Democrats may regret calling witnesses who remain loyal to Trump and are willing to push back on lawmakers, said Joe diGenova, a former federal prosecutor who represented two witnesses in the Mueller probe: Mark Corallo, a former spokesman for the president’s legal team, and Trump campaign aide Sam Clovis.
“You know what happens in a hearing like that, the witness says, ‘You know what, Mr. Nadler, go to hell. I’m sick of you. I’m sick of what you’ve done to my family,’” added diGenova, who nearly joined the president’s team of personal attorneys in March 2018 and continues to give Trump informal legal advice.
“If they want to do that, I’d be there with a camera to watch that. How stupid. They think people are going to roll over and play dead for these morons? They may accept just to have the opportunity to spit in the face of Elijah Cummings, Schiff and Nadler, and I would recommend that they do it,” diGenova said.
“If they want to call Corey [Lewandowski], that’d be their biggest mistake,” diGenova added. “Ooohoo! I hope they do it. They’re going to regret it.”
Lewandowski reportedly had that exact experience when he testified to the House Intelligence Committee behind closed doors last year, telling Democrats he no longer intended to answer their “f---ing” questions.
An end run around executive privilege by asking questions of witnesses who have not served in the administration. Excellent strategy!
ReplyDeleteThey tried it out with John Dean. How'd that work out?
Of course, the next question is, what could such witnesses know that is germane to Congressional hearings, which have to have a semblance of legislative purpose.
With said persons, having not served in the administration, I don't know why they bother to appear...
Apparently they think that putting on this kind of meaningless show hearing will somehow impress the citizenry. I very much doubt it.
DeleteI recommend they trot out a lot of Hollywood celebrities. I know I'ld be impressed.
ReplyDeleteAt least the current generation might know who they are. I'd bet few people under 60 even knew who John Dean was. For them Richard Nixon is probably some mythical figure they've only heard about when their liberal parents wanted to scare them into non-conservative behavior--you could end up like Nixon!
Delete