The White House says it's rejecting an unauthorized 'do-over' of the Mueller investigation. Nadler says that's 'preposterous.'


The White House is rejecting a request for documents from the House Judiciary Committee, blasting Democrats' investigation into President Trump as an attempted "do-over."
White House Counsel Pat Cipollone in a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday criticized the committee's March request for documents from former and current administration officials. Democrats are currently investigating whether Trump abused his power in office and obstructed justice. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe did not establish whether Trump committed an obstruction of justice offense but also did not exonerate him, laying out instances of potential obstruction.
Cipollone characterizes this congressional investigation as "unauthorized 'do-over'" of the "exhaustive" one conducted by Mueller. He argues Democrats are operating outside of their constitutional authority in order to conduct a "pseudo law enforcement investigation" because Mueller's probe "did not reach the conclusion that some members of the committee apparently would have preferred." He also says the "appropriate course" would be to end the inquiry.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The White House will "resist the overbroad demands" from Democrats out of "respect for the rule of law," Cipollone concludes, demanding that they "narrow" the scope of the requests. This letter comes after the White House previously said it was instructing former counsel Don McGahn not to supply requested documents to Congress.
Nadler in response to the letter told CNN's Manu Raju that the White House is "claiming that the president is a king," adding, "no president, no person in the United States is above the law" and "this is preposterous." He also said that Democrats will not end their investigation and that they're considering hitting people who don't comply with subpoenas with "very large" fines. Earlier in the day, Nadler had said in an interview with CNBC that while we're "probably" not "heading for impeachment," Trump is "making it increasingly difficult" to avoid.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US