Democrats are preparing to subpoena Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker

 Matthew Whitaker.
(Image credit: Stephanie Keith / Getty Images)

Less than a week after taking control of the House, Democrats are already preparing to subpoena President Trump's acting attorney general.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday that Democrats are "preparing the subpoena" to compel Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to testify before Congress, ABC News reports. A testimony from Whitaker has been officially requested, and Nadler says Whitaker previously agreed to testify in January, but the two parties haven't been able to work out a date.

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A letter from Nadler reported by MSNBC shows the Justice Department would only agree to set up a date if it's "two weeks removed from a partial government shutdown," which Nadler told them he "cannot accept," adding Democrats "cannot allow" the date to "slip past" the president's State of the Union address on Jan. 29. Nadler says Whitaker may be issued the subpoena in the next few days if a January date is not set up by then.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.