Inherent contempt': How House Democrats could fine or jail Trumpsters who refuse to cooperate

[HiloHatti]

House Democrats are so frustrated with President Trump’s administration and his allies blocking their investigative efforts that some have seriously encouraged invoking a long-dormant power Congress has to jail or fine uncooperative witnesses. House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), the lawmaker leading the impeachment inquiry, indicated some support for the idea, The Washington Post reported.
It sounds extreme, but it’s an authority so integral to Congress that it’s in the name “inherent contempt.” Congress used that authority throughout much of its history to enforce its ability to subpoena people and documents, though it hasn’t been used in nearly a century.
Under inherent contempt, Congress could fine people who aren’t cooperating with them today. At the top of their list for any of these punishments might be the acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, who is withholding a whistleblower complaint about the president, or former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who complied with a subpoena but mocked Congress once there.
Some House Democrats are talking about taking punishment into their own hands via inherent contempt because they’re frustrated with Democratic leadership for not more fully embracing their impeachment inquiry.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/23/inherent-contempt-how-house-democrats-could-fine-or-even-jail-trump-officials-who-refuse-cooperate/?

[Fiendish Thingy]

1. Jailing the DNI would be a bold step that would get everyone's attention

No amount of distraction or diversion would be able to alter the narrative that the DNI was in jail for following Trump's unlawful orders rather than the actual law.