Judge Pushes Back On Trump Lawyers Trying To Block Possible Impeachment Witnesses

[Judi Lynn]

Source: NPR


October 31, 201910:58 PM ET
BOBBY ALLYN

A federal judge on Thursday fired skeptical questions at lawyers for the Trump administration who argued that current and former senior White House aides have "absolute immunity" from being questioned by House impeachment investigators.

The hearing, before U.S. District Judge Ketanji Jackson in Washington, was the first time Trump lawyers tested in open court their attempt to block White House aides from cooperating with the impeachment inquiry into the president.

Jackson at times struggled with the Trump administration's argument that former White House counsel Don McGahn does not have to comply with a subpoena filed by House Democrats for him to sit for testimony related to conversations he was party to that could implicate Trump in possible articles of impeachment for obstruction of justice.

"So what does the separation of powers mean to you then?" Jackson asked Trump administration lawyers. "How can the legislature actively exert its oversight power unless it has the ability to exercise its investigative powers?"



Read more: https://www.npr.org/2019/10/31/775266947/judge-pushes-back-on-trump-lawyers-trying-to-block-possible-impeachment-witnesse

[lark]

1. Go Judge Jackson, support the constitution of the USA not the rotten traitorous criminal.

Rule against him now because this is going higher. drumpf will not rest until his supine Russian Repug SCOTUS rules that he alone can do anything and everything he wants and there's no repercussions. At least that is his goal, the only question is if there are any of the RW justices who will vote for the constitution over fascism. I don't trust Roberts one little bit, he writes nice op-eds then rules for riich and party every single time it truly matters.

[Maxheader]

2. Lord I'd hate to have their job...

The good judges...having to understand the rationalizations of the gop law hacks...had these obscure
arguments by kansas politicos on voting issues ...judges found some of them in contempt...violating
laws that were on the books..

Jackson at times struggled with the Trump administration's argument