The chorus of many Democrats following the recent Electoral College meeting is that it is time for America—and specifically, Republicans—to “move on” from the Trump administration.
But as with so many of the rules they establish for others, at least one Democrat considers himself exempt from that diktat.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-NY, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, issued a subpoena for former White House counsel Don McGahn as part of his ongoing investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice while refusing to cooperate with a probe into since-debunked accusations of Russian collusion.
Much like the perjury traps laid for former national security adviser Michael Flynn, Trump campaign energy expert George Papadopoulos and others, Nadler hoped to pursue process charges stemming from the Mueller investigation even without an underlying criminal act.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a Trump ally and ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, sharply criticized Nadler in a letter for his refusal to advise minority members of the decision.
“[Y]ou are continuing to misuse limited Committee resources on your fanatical obsession with attacking President Donald Trump,” Jordan wrote.
He reminded Nadler of his pledge for transparency and bipartisan inclusion when he assumed the chair in early 2018.
Jordan said that Nadler’s failure to keep his promises while doggedly pursuing his partisan witch hunt may have played a part in voters’ repudiation of House Democrats during the election.
“The Committee’s membership will be different next year and our new Members should be allowed to evaluate the wisdom of this subpoena and your broader litigation goals and strategy,” he wrote.
“In addition, some returning Democrat Members may reconsider their prior support for this subpoena after the American people clearly rejected House Democrats’ radical and misguided priorities last month,” he added.
House Democrats unceremoniously jettisoned their legal efforts to gain access to Trump’s tax and other financial records after the Supreme Court rejected the case on its merit while noting the alarming implications for separation of powers.
However, some partisan officials, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, have said they will continue to pursue charges once Trump is out of office, speculating that Trump may step down early and seek a pardon from Vice President Mike Pence under the circumstances.
