Judge orders Don McGahn to testify before Congress
A federal judge ruled on Monday that former White House Counsel Don McGahn must testify before congressional impeachment investigators.
The Trump administration has blocked top presidential advisers from responding to subpoenas, arguing that they have absolute immunity, but U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson called this claim "baseless, and as such, cannot be sustained." McGahn spoke to former Special Counsel Robert Mueller for 30 hours while he was investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, and House Democrats have been wanting to ask him about possible obstruction of justice by President Trump.
The House Judiciary Committee has been trying to enforce its subpoena for McGahn since August, before the panel launched its impeachment inquiry against Trump. Democrats are now deciding whether articles of impeachment should include obstruction of justice allegations that were included in Mueller's report, The Washington Post reports, and McGahn could be an important witness.
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.
A Department of Justice spokesperson said the administration plans on appealing the ruling. McGahn's attorney, William Burck, said his client will comply with the order, unless there is a court-ordered stay.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
How the Bondi massacre unfoldedIn Depth Deadly terrorist attack during Hanukkah celebration in Sydney prompts review of Australia’s gun control laws and reckoning over global rise in antisemitism
-
Received a gift card this holiday season? Here’s how to maximize it.The Explainer Make the most of your present
-
‘Lumpy skin’ protests intensify across France as farmers fight cullIN THE SPOTLIGHT A bovine outbreak coupled with ongoing governmental frustrations is causing major problems for French civil society
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
-
Kushner drops Trump hotel project in SerbiaSpeed Read Affinity Partners pulled out of a deal to finance a Trump-branded development in Belgrade
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
