Oversight Committee holds Clinton IT aide in contempt of Congress

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill

By Katie Bo Williams - 09/22/16 11:16 AM EDT

The House Oversight Committee on Thursday morning voted on party lines to recommend that the House hold former State Department IT technician Bryan Pagliano in contempt of Congress. Pagliano was responsible for setting up Clinton’s private email server during her tenure as secretary of State.

The former State Department employee declined to appear at an Oversight hearing on Clinton's server last week, in spite of a subpoena demanding his presence. The committee held a follow-up hearing on the same subject on Thursday morning, which Pagliano also declined to attend.

When Pagliano didn’t show, Republicans immediately adjourned the hearing and held a business meeting to vote on the contempt of Congress resolution. “Subpoenas are not optional,” Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said Thursday. “Mr. Pagliano is a crucial fact witness in this committee’s investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server to conduct government business.”

The resolution still needs to go to the House floor to be adopted.

-snip-

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/297214-oversight-committee-holds-clinton-it-aide-in-contempt-of-congress

[sarae]

1. Jason Chaffetz...

It's impossible to accurately express the level of disgust I have for this man. He's a vile excuse for a human being.

[NobodyHere]

5. Did you see this?

[sarae]

8. LMAO

No, I hadn't seen that - it's hilarious, thanks!

[left-of-center2012]

2. I hold Congress in contempt

Vote 'em out

[truthisfreedom]

3. Doesn't Pagliano have immunity?

Who gives a flying fuck what these repukes want?

[Zorro]

4. The House Oversight Committee has earned that contempt

Sane Americans recognize this as just another abusive overreach of Congressional authority by Republicans.

And didn't Karl Rove ignore a Congressional subpoena in the waning days of the Bush administration? What were the consequences?

[Ccarmona]

6. This From the House Repubs

Who have a 12% approval rating. If it wasn't for this kind of distracting crap from these people, you'd never know the House is even in session.

[geek tragedy]

7. good luck enforcing that, Congress nt

[Bill USA]

9. Republicans have adopted a political modus operandi of total war. they are the ISIS of America.

they are willing to cause total destruction of the institution of representative Government in America. Democrats are therefor their natural enemies because Democrats support the notion of a Government that is responsive to the people - not just of the top 3% - but all the people, including those who don't have teams of lobbyists to spread largesse for services rendered (e.g. Congressional legislation filibustered).

Thus, Repugnants spend almost all their time with Investigations into baseless charges. They have very little interest in and spend almost no time, working to pass responsible legislation (something which happens only after months of cajoling by Democrats).

[apnu]

10. OK, lets find out more what that means.

Does contempt of Congress carry felony or misdemeanor charges? No it doesn't, it can be referred to the AG for a grand jury investigation.

They can jail people for a minimum of 1 month to 12 months and fine between $100 and $1,000.

However, Wikipedia states:

"As announced in Wilkinson v. United States,[4] the Congressional committee must meet three requirements for its subpoenas to be "legally sufficient." First, the committee investigation of the broad subject area must be authorized by its Chamber; second, the investigation must pursue "a valid legislative purpose" but does not need to involve legislation and does not need to specify the ultimate intent of Congress; and third, the specific inquiries must be pertinent to the subject matter area that has been authorized for investigation."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contempt_of_Congress#Subpoenas

So for the contempt order to stick, the investigation must show is has a "a valid legislative purpose", can they show legislation pertaining to Hillary Clinton's email server? I doubt it.

[Ohioblue22]

11. You set precedence when you let kkkarl rove ignore his subpoena

[DFW]

12. What Chaffetz has

Is a VINDICTIVE purpose, not a "valid" purpose.

He was embarrassed SO badly by Cecile Richards that he must feel he has to "get" some (ANY) Democratic woman before the next Congress, or his life will have been without meaning (not that it seems to have had a lot of meaning up to this point).

[elmac]

13. If the Fascist Reichsgericht ever held be in contempt

I would party for a week

[still_one]

14. What these assholes are trying to do is continue the email saga. These are the worst human beings

I really hope they lose their ass in November