Panel issues subpoena

Judiciary panel issues subpoena on Trump's alleged offer to pardon DHS officials

Trump reportedly promised to pardon aides who broke the law while carrying out his immigration agenda.

By KYLE CHENEY

The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday subpoenaed the Department of Homeland Security for documents connected to President Donald Trump's alleged offer to pardon officials who break the law while carrying out his immigration agenda.

Trump has denied making such an offer, and his allies have reportedly claimed his closed-door comments — revealed in media reports — were jokes. But Democrats say they want to see the records from inside the department, particularly as the Judiciary Committee weighs the prospect of impeachment.

"The Framers did not envision the use of the presidential pardon power to encourage criminal acts at the president’s direction," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said in a statement. "As the committee continues its investigation into whether to recommend articles of impeachment, it is imperative that we are able to obtain information about ongoing presidential misconduct and abuses of power."

Nadler said his panel will also hold hearings in the coming months related to the issue of pardons as it continues its sweeping investigation into possible obstruction of justice, corruption and abuses of power by the president.

The New York Democrat added that the “troubling pattern of obstruction of justice would represent a continuation of the misconduct identified in the Mueller report.”

Former special counsel Robert Mueller highlighted instances where Trump or his attorneys suggested he might pardon his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his former personal attorney Michael Cohen, in an effort to keep them from cooperating with law enforcement.

House Democrats have also previously demanded information on Trump’s alleged pardon-dangling to immigration officials.

The president reportedly told acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan in April that he would pardon him if he broke the law to deny migrants the ability to petition for asylum.

Last week, The Washington Post reported that when aides have told Trump some of his orders to build a border wall violated environmental or eminent domain rules, the president encouraged them to move forward and indicated they would receive a pardon.

The subpoena, issued to McAleenan, requires a response by Sept. 17 at 10 a.m.

Democrats want documents related to meetings between Trump and DHS officials that took place on March 21 and April 5 where pardons reportedly were discussed. The subpoena also requires documents and communications referring to presidential pardons for potential violations of immigration law or the border wall.