The House has scheduled a vote for Wednesday to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress. It's another step in a rapidly escalating battle between the Democrat-led House and President Donald Trump's administration.
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., joined at right by Rep. Doug Collins, R-Georgia, the ranking member, waits to start a hearing on the Mueller report without witness Attorney General William Barr who refused to appear, escalating an already acrimonious battle between Democrats and the Justice Department, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 2, 2019.
The department has released to the public a redacted version, which Nadler said offered “disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels.” He said Barr’s failure to comply with the subpoena for the full report “leaves us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings.”
While a contempt vote would send a message, it wouldn’t force the Justice Department to hand over the report. Nor would it guarantee criminal charges against Barr. The full House would need to approve it, which would send a criminal referral to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a Justice Department official who is likely to defend the attorney general.
The Justice Department has made a less redacted version available for House and Senate leaders and some committee heads, but the Democrats have said that is not enough and have so far declined to read that version.
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