During an interview with the Washington Post‘s Robert Costa, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) suggested that Democrats could move to arrest Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin if he continues to not cooperate with a House subpoena for President Trump’s tax returns, exercising a little-used but well-recognized power against those found in contempt of Congress.
Here is the transcript:
COSTA: “How far can you go on that front, Speaker Pelosi? Could you hold the Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin in contempt? Some Democrats have even raised the prospect of arresting the Treasury secretary if he does not comply with congressional demands?”
PELOSI: “Well, let me just say that we — (Applause) — we do have a jail down in the basement of the Capitol. (Laughter) But if we were arresting all of the people in the administration — (Laughter) — we would have overcrowded jail situation, and I’m not for that. But I think again, getting to the committee, Richie Neal, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, he has a path — again all of this is so low and precedent-based to do the right thing as we go forward. And there are several options. One of them is to go directly to court.”
COSTA: “So it’s probably going to be settled in court?” [crosstalk]
PELOSI: “We will see what the chairman announces because that’s the way we do it.”
.@SpeakerPelosi invoked Nixon's Articles of Impeachment this morning: "[Trump]'s making a case and just trying to goad us into impeachment…Where ever you go I say to my colleagues…be ready." pic.twitter.com/JBwx35a8vZ
— Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) May 7, 2019
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8 Responses
Jails Will Be”Overcrowded” soon by Clinton/Obama FBI and Justice Department officials who illegally spied on Trump campaign, and and besides who care what this senile antisemitism tolerating witch says.
When will the democrats get their jail sentence the time came for that already it’s dangerous every day their out there
I hate her guts She never has anything good to say. she should be overthrown
Why overcrowded? Dems aren’t there! They seem to get away with everything so it’s just Republicans!
Insane asylums will be full of people like her.
She doesn’t seem to be able to put a single simple sentence together, and she’s the leader of the Dems? She really does belong in an old age home….with her antisemitism….
we do have a jail down in the basement of the Capitol and needless to say, we have to keep the precious space available for Hillary & Obama.
Good example of how the fight between the Democrats and Republicans progresses.
In 2012 the House Republicans made no such a thing after they voted to hold then–Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt over his refusal to turn over documents connected to the “Fast and the Furious” probe. Now the Democrats have broken this “taboo” (which had not been used in over a century), so it may now happen in a future Republican controlled House would arrest someone (probably Democrat) for contempt. All because it was the Democrats who first broke this long standing “taboo”.
I would also point out that the alleged contempt is for refusing to hand over complete un-redacted documentation. The request itself is actually illegal (for example, Grand Jury testimony is sealed). The redactions are required as a matter of law, so it seems to me (though I am only a lay-person here) that he request by Congress to break a law is itself illegal (as example, conspiracy to break this law, as evidenced by the request and threat) and Congress should be arrested by the Justice Department. Something to keep in mind if the Democrats do try to arrest the Attorney General.