Trump Admin Continues Assault on Law and Order by Refusing Document Subpoena

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday rejected a subpoena from a Democratic-led congressional committee seeking documents from former White House counsel Don McGahn relating to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia inquiry.

McGahn was directed not to produce the White House records in response to the subpoena from the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, according to the current White House counsel, Pat Cipollone.

It was the latest episode in an escalating fight between Trump and Democrats who control the House and are seeking documents and testimony relating to various investigations.

Cipollone said in a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler that McGahn was given the documents during the investigation “with the clear understanding that the records remain subject to the control of the White House for all purposes.”

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Nadler had asked McGahn to produce the documents by Tuesday morning.

“Because Mr. McGahn does not have the legal right to disclose these documents to third parties, I would ask the Committee to direct any request for such records to the White House, the appropriate legal custodian,” Cipollone said.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told ABC earlier she did not believe McGahn would comply with the subpoena. “I don’t anticipate that that takes place,” Sanders said.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Will Dunham)